Be Mine
by Cain
Summary: COMPLETE! Sequel to "All I Want is the Moon Upon a Stick". Read that first! FEMSLASH- Don't like, don't read. Sonny/Tawni Please read and review!
1. The Morning After

**Author's Note**: I'm sorry it took so long for me to get this thing started. It was exceptionally difficult to begin, not to mention finding the time to write was near impossible. Anyway, here we are, at long last. It is a slow start, like last time. I need to get in the swing of things and find my rhythm with this story again. This is a sequel to _All I Want is the Moon Upon a Stic_k so if you haven't read that yet, turn back now. Start at the beginning! And be sure to leave comments over there as well! Just because it's complete doesn't mean I don't like to hear people's thoughts (I just recently got a lengthy review from zababcd which made my day- lots of constructive criticism!). New updates will not be posted unless at least 3 new reviews have been received. This story picks up about a week after the last one ended. It is named after the song "Be Mine" by R.E.M. and while I won't be taking all my titles from that song's lyrics this time, the song does serve as a sort of theme for it. Maybe. We'll see how it all works out, now won't we?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own _Sonny with a Chance_, obviously. Charlie is mine, however. And I guess Tawni's father, since we haven't ever met him in the show. Or even heard reference to him, actually, I don't think. Whatever. Fans of the show know which characters are from the show and which aren't. FEMSLASH- Don't like, don't read.

**Be Mine**

**Chapter One: The Morning After (give or take a week)  
><strong>

Tawni rapped her fist against the door impatiently. Inside, an equally annoyed Connie Munroe peered through the peep-hole. Shaking her head, she pulled the door open. "Hello Tawni."

"Mrs. Munroe," Tawni nodded. She had managed to avoid Sonny's mother for the better part of the week since she sold her freedom to the brunette, normally by forcing the other girl to meet her down on the street. But today she had spontaneously decided to come by and Sonny hadn't answered her phone.

"Sonny's in the shower," Connie replied, crossing her arms. "I don't think she's expecting you."

She shrugged. "I thought we could get breakfast before work."

Connie inhaled deeply, as though she were waiting for the blonde to expand on her admission.

Tawni didn't take the hint and walked passed Sonny's mother, making herself comfortable on the couch. "I'll just wait."

Connie hesitated a moment. She had to go to work, but she didn't really want to leave Tawni alone in the apartment. _Which is dumb_, she thought to herself. It's not like Tawni would steal anything... or do anything, really. Tawni was not a threatening person. She wasn't exactly_ good_ either, at least not good enough for Sonny. And she and Sonny... well, they would do whatever it is they wanted. If not under her roof, than elsewhere. But still, she couldn't help being uneasy as she slid the shoulder-strap of her purse over her arm and turned toward the door. The fact that Sonny refused to talk with her mother about it at all, which had never been the case when she was with Lucy, only made it worse.

Tawni let out a sigh of relief once the door shut. Connie always made everything so awkward. She glanced at her watch. Smirking slightly, she got to her feet and made her way back toward the bathroom.

She turned the knob slowly and pushed the door in, poking her head in. "Hey, Sonny!"

Barely stifling a scream, Sonny whirled around. "Tawni? What the- get out!"

"What? It's not like I haven't seen it before... not recently enough, might I add," she remarked. "Can I join you?"

"No!"

Tawni rolled her eyes. "Hurry up then, I'm hungry."

"I didn't know we were doing breakfast," Sonny replied, turning the water off and quickly grabbing a towel.

"Yeah, well, Charlie's out of milk, so...here I am."

Sonny padded past her, making her way to her bedroom. The blonde followed.

"A little privacy, please?"

Tawni laughed and ignored the request, dropping down on the bed and putting her hands over her eyes jokingly, making no real effort to conceal her view.

Sonny grabbed a bra and panties from her dresser, then positioned herself behind her closet door to dress. "You don't think showing up randomly and going to breakfast is going to count as a date, do you?"

"How is it _not_ a date? I'm picking you up- again- and taking you out. I'll pay."

"I mean..." Sonny hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "When I said I wouldn't sleep with you on the first date...that doesn't mean you get to just pop up as often as possible to rack up 'dates' just to get me into bed."

"If I'm around enough, you'll give in," Tawni said, propping herself up on her elbows. "You don't have any good reasons to hold out on me."

"No good reason? I need to be able to trust you!" Sonny scoffed. "I've already done the 'get cheated on' thing, and I don't really want to do it again."

"I'm not going to cheat on you," Tawni rolled her eyes and got to her feet. She walked over to the brunette and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I swear."

Sonny tilted her head to the side. "I really want to believe that."

"I've never cheated on anyone," the blonde said. "And if you try and claim I cheated on you, that just isn't true. We weren't together. Now, we are. We're trying it your way. If your way is entirely sex-free, I'm going to have to rethink things though, Sonny, because then... we might as well just be friends. Which probably won't work out so well at this point."

"It's not sex-free, but I'm just...waiting."

"For what?"

"The right moment, I don't know," the brunette shrugged. "Where do you want to get breakfast?"

"Smooth subject change. I was thinking that place down by the water, with the really good french toast."

"Which place?"

"I don't remember."

"By the water as in...the ocean? Because we need to be on set by ten and..."

"Whatever, then we can go to the first place we see. There's an IHOP down the block, but I don't really do IHOP."

"Why not? It's good and cheap!"

The blonde rolled her eyes again before reverting to the subject that was way more important, to her anyway. "So, waiting for the right moment, even though we've already slept together?"

"Tawni-"

"What? This is the sort of discussion people in a relationship would have, isn't it? Being honest and open and talking about our feelings... yadda yadda yadda... generally being all...you know...like you," she mused, crossing her arms. "You know what I'm feeling right about now?"

"...Hungry for french toast?" Sonny offered, half-smiling, pulling on her coat.

"Hungry, yes, but not really for french toast," Tawni said as she stepped closer, stealing another kiss from the dark-haired girl, this one a bit deeper. She lingered for a moment, leaning forward into Sonny, resting her forehead on the other girl's.

Sonny smiled inwardly. She was honestly a little surprised at how... _well-behaved_ Tawni had been over the course of the week. She had received an angry earful the morning after she had shut the door on her after their first date.

_She had walked into the dressing room to find the blonde lounging on the couch, reading one of her beauty magazines. She met Sonny with eyes that seemed to simultaneously burn and freeze._

_"Hey Tawni," Sonny said awkwardly, setting her things down on her side of the room and turning toward the other girl. "How... have you been?" Kind of a dumb question, since she had seen her the night before, but she nothing better to say came to mind.  
><em>

_"Well, from having the door shut in my face last night up until this moment, and counting? Really, very, very _unsatisfied_."_

_"You know me well enough that you shouldn't have been surprised," Sonny tried._

_"What? That's ridiculous!" Tawni stood up. "We already slept together. So I took you out, did your 'dating' thing, and still got nothing? I have every reason to be shocked! And dismayed!"_

_"We had fun. Dinner was fantastic. The drive was really pretty."_

_"Means to an end, Sonny, means to an end."_

_Sonny frowned and replied sternly. "If you only want sex, there's plenty of other girls."_

_Tawni crossed her arms and sat down in a huff. Sonny took a seat beside her, slipping an arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Patience is a virtue, you know."_

_"Please. I could care less about being virtuous."_

_Sonny kissed her on the cheek. "You can do it. I believe in you."_

_"How long?"_

_ Sonny didn't answer. It couldn't be that long, though- she wanted to get Tawni back, to teach her a lesson and to see if she could really trust the more promiscuous girl to actually be faithful, but at the same time, she was quite eager to get the blonde back in the sack. _

_Nico and Grady had barged in then, desperate to share some new sketch ideas, and still unaware that Sonny and Tawni had done anything more than simply make amends (evidently they hadn't checked out the latest tabloids at that point), so the conversation had been put on hold, and never really resumed. It didn't need to be. Tawni got the point. And she was willing to give it a try. She could be a bit pushy from time to time, notably in a few heavy make-out sessions, but she backed off when Sonny asked her to (and asking her to stop had not been easy)._

_Frustrated as she got in those moments, overall Tawni was enjoying herself. The green-eyed girl's holier-than-thou and, at times, aloof demeanor might have masked it to people who didn't know her as well, but Sonny could tell. She could tell that in spite of Tawni's best efforts, she really, really liked hanging around with Sonny. All the time. Which, for Tawni, was a huge thing. She tired of people very easily._

"We should probably get going," Sonny said softly.

Tawni's eyes fluttered open. She was still standing in front of Sonny, their foreheads gently touching. And for half a second, Sonny caught something unfamiliar in the other girl's eyes. She couldn't quite identify it and it was near instantaneously replaced with that chilly indifference the blonde was known for.

"Yeah, let's," Tawni stepped passed her and opened the door.

Sonny took her hand as they made their way down the hall toward the stairs._  
><em>


	2. Grown Ups Know Best

**Author's Note:** I did a bit of reading pertaining to legal issues referenced in this chapter (and any forthcoming chapters), but overall, I'm just making it up as I go. So suspend your disbelief and just accept it. I just don't have time to delve deep into research for a SWAC fanfiction, especially legal research because, if any of you have tried it, you know it's a damn complicated mess of technicalities. My biggest issue with this sequel has been connecting the events of the last fic to the main events that will play out in this one. This chapter will be another slow one, still setting the stage I'm afraid, but next chapter I should be able to finally get into the main thrust of the story. These two have just been the necessary bridges between both stories.

**Chapter Two: Grown Ups Know Best  
><strong>

"Cut, cut," Marshall yelled. "This sketch stinks on ice!"

So Random's executive producer had been crankier than usual over the course of the past week, fielding calls from the several different parties regarding his two leading ladies recent public statements.

First, their was his boss, the head of the studio, Mr. Condor. He wanted them both off the show- it was sketch comedy, after all, the characters were constantly changing and continuity wasn't an issue- but the legality of firing them at this time had proved tricky due to claims of discrimination. Even so, this was a children's program and though it wasn't yet reflected in the ratings, advertisers had already pulled their ads and parent groups were complaining incessantly. As a result, he had asked Marshall to keep an eye on Sonny and Tawni and watch closely for the slightest infraction- anything that he could fire them for. Marshall had called the girls to his office and informed them of this and told them to be on their best behavior so that he wouldn't have to lie and risk his own job. Sonny had been startled by the notion, and clearly worried by it. Tawni, on the other hand, was nonchalant and shrugged it off entirely.

In addition to Condor, there was a barrage of calls from the press and various activist groups wanting interviews with him and with the girls and their castmates, or statements on the politics behind the decision to 'come out', as if it had been a carefully contemplated choice, rather than Tawni being impulsively reactive and Sonny, being the milk of human kindness, as it were, simply unable to continue living a lie.

And on top of this, the man had to continue to produce the sketches, interacting with a much more assertive cast than he'd had in the past. Tawni remained every bit the demanding diva she'd always been and Sonny was still easy-going, and finally out of her brief depressive slump, but she was clearly paranoid about losing her job and her hyper-sensitivity to her own actions caused her to frequently mess up her lines. And Nico, Grady, and Zora had all felt empowered by their recent 'throw-down with authority', as Nico melodramatically put it, and were all much less willing to just accept Marshall's direction. Suddenly, they felt like they knew what was best in all things.

If the new-found know-it-all status wasn't enough, Nico was intensely focused on trying to walk in on Sonny and Tawni in the midst of... private interactions; Grady had somehow acquired a girlfriend of his own, a waitress from a local cafe; and Zora's parents were among the legions of disapproving adults.

"Earth to Marshall?" Nico said, waving a hand in front of his face."What's the problem now?"

He looked up. "It just needs something else."

"Well, I think it's great," Grady asked. "But we can keep practicing. The Prop Guy made like fifty pies and I don't object to sticking my face in them."

Marshall rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, we know what we're doing, man, " Nico replied.

"No, you don't, you're kids. Kids who keep making stupid decisions because you think you're adults!" he threw his script down on the floor and marched off the set.

"I don't get what's up with him lately," Nico said disinterestedly.

"I guess that means it's time for lunch," Zora shrugged.

"I'm off to The Patio!" Grady announced with a big grin. "My girlfriend works there."

"We know," Zora replied. "You tell us at every meal break."

Still beaming, Grady skipped off the set.

"I'm gonna go eat in my sarcophagus," Zora said, before disappearing behind a rack of costumes.

Nico turned to Sonny and Tawni. "So, to the commissary?"

"Sonny!" Connie appeared behind them on the stage. "Hey!"

"Hey, Mom," Sonny replied, hugging her in greeting. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just thought I'd swing by and take you to lunch. I have a gift-card and we haven't had any mother-daughter bonding in awhile."

"Um, ok," she couldn't hide her surprise. "Sounds like fun."

"You don't have any special plans, right?" Connie asked, feigning concern and looking at Tawni. "I'm not interrupting anything?"

Tawni shook her head.

"We were just going to the cafeteria."

Connie nodded. "Well, ok then. We better hurry. You only have an hour free, right?"

"Yeah," Sonny nodded. She turned and quickly gave Tawni a kiss on the cheek. "See ya."

Tawni nodded a goodbye and eyed Connie wearily. As soon as the Munroes were out of earshot, she turned to Nico. "Sonny's mom has gotten really weird lately."

"Yeah, well," he replied, offering nothing useful before repeating his earlier question. "So, to the commissary? Or do you want to go eat somewhere fancier?"

"I can't," Tawni grumbled, her expression promptly turning sour. "My card isn't working."

"Huh?"

"This morning Sonny and I went to breakfast and I was going to pay, but my card got declined. Which makes no sense. I haven't had a chance to call the bank yet though."

"Well, then the commissary it is.

She shrugged and went with him.

* * *

><p>"This is nice, isn't this nice?" Connie said, grinning across the table at her daughter.<p>

"Yeah...?" Sonny responded, a little confused by her mother's behavior. She bit into her turkey club.

"We used to be so close, I miss that."

"We're still close. What are you talking about?"

"You're just growing up so fast. It seems like just yesterday you were in diapers."

"Mom..."

"Well, you used to actually listen to my advice. You valued my opinion, maybe more than anyone else's."

"I still listen to your advice."

"Selectively."

Sonny tilted her head to the side. "I don't understand why you have such a problem with Tawni, Mom."

"Because she's a completely self-absorbed princess who makes most people's lives miserable."

"She really isn't that bad once you get to know her," Sonny answered, taking another bite of her sandwich.

"I just don't want to see you hurt and I don't see this ending well at all," Connie said, crossing her hands. "I've been around the block, kiddo, and I've known plenty of Tawnis in my time."

"Mmhm," Sonny nodded.

"You aren't even listening to me," Connie clapped her hands down on her lap.

"Yes, I am, but you aren't giving Tawni a chance. I know she isn't the nicest, most generous person ever... but I wish you'd just trust my judgment on this one. You need to get to know her. You didn't like Lucy much when you first met her."

"And how did that turn out?" Connie raised her eyebrow. "I even warned you about Chad. You couldn't even pick a good guy for your fake boyfriend."

Sonny frowned. "Is this all you brought me out here for? So you could try and persuade me to break up-"

"I just want to talk with you, Sonny. And you've been hanging around with Tawni almost non-stop during your free time and I don't think she's good for you. Or good enough for you, for that matter."

Sonny just sighed and took another bite of her sandwich. If she was the sort of girl who thrived on parental disapproval, she could have just ignored this situation, but she wasn't and this was something she'd have to fix.

* * *

><p>"That is not possible," Tawni repeated into the phone, her temper rising. "I had way too much money in that account to overdraw it, ok? I check it online every time I get a paycheck and there's no way that I've spent it all in the last two weeks."<p>

"Are you able to look over your accounts online right now?" the woman on the other end of the line asked.

"No, I don't have a computer, or the time, look, there was almost a quarter of a million dollars in that account when I last checked it and I have not spent that-"

"You share this account with a Thomas Hart, yes?"

"Yeah, that's my dad."

"Is it possible then that he made the withdrawal?"

"He's never gone into this account. His name is on it because I'm a minor, but this has always been my personal spending account," Tawni explained.

"Well, it appears that he made a large withdrawal a few days ago," the woman replied. "I think perhaps you'll need to take this up with him. Since his name is on the account, he is legally entitled to the money in it."

"Can I transfer funds from somewhere else then?" the blonde asked, frustrated.

"The only other account in your name is your Coogan trust and you cannot access that until you're eighteen."

"Well, then what am I supposed to do?" Tawni snapped.

"Talk with your father, I guess. There's really nothing I can do for you, Miss Hart, I'm sorry."

Tawni hung up and tossed her phone on the vanity. Calling her father was the last thing she wanted to do.


	3. The Way The Cookie Crumbles

**Chapter Three: The Way the Cookie Crumbles  
><strong>

Chad found Sonny sitting outside the studio on a cement wall, a book in hand, though she wasn't reading it so much as staring blankly at the page.

"Hey, how's my favorite- what did you say on your Flitter? 'Dyke to watch out for'?" he sat beside her. "Sounds a little bolder than I'd have pegged you for."

She smirked. "It's the name of a comic strip by Alison Bechdel."

"Oh, well, I don't read books and I sure as hell don't read comics..."

"Yeah, Grady was the only one who got the reference. Which surprised me still. I didn't think he'd have read that ever. But he read her memoir and then looked into her other stuff so-"

"Yeah, don't care," Chad said, cutting her off with a wave of his hand. "I just have a bet going as to how long you and Tawni are going to last and so I wanted to check in and see if there's any trouble in paradise yet. I heard you were withholding sex. I can't imagine Tawni is handling that well."

"You have a bet going on?" she said, glaring at him in disgust. "I swear, every time I think maybe we can be good friends, you do something to remind me how much of a jerk you are. And Tawni and my relationship is none of your business."

"What are you talking about? I totally helped you to get together. I convinced Tawni to tell you how she felt. I mean, kind of. I gave her a hard time about sleeping with you and leading you on. I'm sure I had some influence."

"Well, things are fine. I mean, yeah, she's getting a little impatient. But I don't blame her. She is who she is. She's trying though. And so far, so good."

"How long are you going to hold out on her?" he asked.

"I don't know. Not long. It's just..." she hesitated. Chad wasn't really someone she wanted to talk with this about, but she didn't exactly have anyone else. "I'm nervous."

"About what? You guys already slept together."

"No, I just mean... I'm nervous that she'll lose interest once I give in. But I know that she'll get fed up if I hold out too long, too."

"Why would she lose interest?"

"Because... I don't know... maybe she'll get bored of being with the same person, you know? Normal people can handle it, but it isn't the way she's used to doing things and... I don't know. I'm just worried about it. And obviously you see some merit in my fears if you've got a pool going to see how long we last."

"Hey now," he cocked his head to the side. "I never told you what _my_ bet was."

"What is it?"

"Forever."

* * *

><p>"Please, please, please?" Sonny begged, trotting down the hall after the blonde. "With a cherry on top."<p>

"Aren't I already doing enough for you? With this whole celibacy thing?" Tawni quipped, as she unlocked the door to their dressing room. They had never used to lock it when they left, but lately, Nico had gotten exceptionally perverted and had taken to hiding out in their room in hopes of seeing some action. _Not that there was any to see_, Tawni thought with a frown.

"Tawni," Sonny stepped around in front of her and slipped her arms around her waist. "Please?"

"What will I get out of it?"

Sonny leaned forward and kissed her, just a soft, quick peck on the lips. "Please?"

"That's the best you can do?"

Sonny smirked and kissed her a second time, this time moving her hands up into the blonde's hair and slipping her tongue inside the other girl's mouth. Several seconds later, she pulled away, nibbling on Tawni's lower lip just a bit before breaking the kiss completely.

"Hmm," Tawni half-smiled and furrowed her brow. "Don't think I'm convinced yet." She turned and glanced at herself in the mirror. "Nope. Unconvinced. And pretty."

Sonny's arms were still around her neck and pulled the blonde's face down to hers, but she stopped just short of a kiss. "I'm not going to convince you the way you want to be convinced."

"Pretty please? With a cherry on top?" Tawni begged mockingly.

"Very funny. But seriously, Tawni. She's already agreed and-"

Tawni smirked. "You better promise you didn't persuade her the same way."

"Eww, no, obviously not," Sonny replied, playfully hitting Tawni in the shoulder. "But I really think that if she gets to know you a little better..."

"Sonny, she's not going to change her mind over dinner. She thinks I'm 'dangerous'. Which is kind of ridiculous, but whatever. She's mad that you're out now and she blames me. And I'm a slut. So...all the things she doesn't like are directly connected to me. And you can't convince her they aren't because they are. It isn't just her opinion, it's just the truth."

Sonny shook her head. "She's worried about me. She's being overly-protective and she has no reason to be. Even if she blames you for my coming out, so what? I can't take that back now. So there isn't any reason for her to dwell on it."

"Can't you just talk with her about that? Why do I have to be there?"

"To show her that you are actually making an effort," the brunette said pointedly.

"I don't care if she thinks I'm making an effort or not."

"Well, she isn't the only one you need to prove yourself to."

Tawni sighed. "Fine."

"Thank you!" Sonny grinned that big Sonny-smile and threw her arms back around the blonde, pulling her in for a tight hug.

* * *

><p>Tawni was staring absent-mindedly out at the ocean when her uncle joined her on the deck.<p>

"Alright, Tawn," he said, taking a seat beside her. "From what I can tell, your money went into two accounts—your Coogan trust and your personal spending. But I know that isn't all of it. Your mom got a cut as your manager, right?"

"Yeah, only 10% though, I think."

"Ok, so that was probably directly deposited into her account and then your parents probably had another account that the rest of the money went to. For general family expenses and stuff. In theory anyway. You'll have to talk to your father about this though, Tawn. There's no way for me to access his bank accounts. And it would be illegal anyway."

"He took all _my_ money. How is that not illegal?" she grumbled.

"Because you're a minor."

"And I can't get into my Coogan until I'm eighteen? My birthday isn't for three months. I can't survive on no money for three whole months!"

"I can cover you. Maybe not as lavishly as you're used to…"

She glared at that.

"Maybe you should sell a couple of your cars," he shrugged. "I mean, you don't really need six of them."

"I've only been using one for the past few weeks and I'm already sick of it."

"Well, keep your top three and sell the other three, then," he suggested, half-grinning. "You could be a lot worse off, you know."

"Four of them are at my parents. One is at the impound lot-"

"Wait, what?"

"From when I was attacked. They stole my keys. I didn't have a spare—or I don't know where it is. So the police eventually towed it."

"Oh."

"And then one is here."

"Ok, well, you still have a key to your house, right? So just get some of your friends, go by when your parents aren't around, and everyone can drive a car out of there. We'll sell them," he said, then, noting her sulking expression, added: "You can always buy new ones in a few months anyway."

"I don't understand how he can legally just take my money. I get that his name is on the account, but…it just doesn't seem fair."

"It's not, but that's the way the cookie crumbles."

She looked at him oddly.

He smirked. "I used to say that all the time when you were upset as a kid and it always made you laugh."

"I know. I remember," she smiled. "It's just been awhile."

"You know, when I gave Sonny a ride to the studio a couple weeks ago, I said it about something or other and she responded like it was a completely regular thing to say between two adults."

"Sonny always says stupid things like that," Tawni explained, shrugging. "She's from Wisconsin."

"Yeah?" he said, apparently waiting for more.

"Yeah…?" she responded, not sure what he wanted.

"Ok, kid, you practically redefined promiscuity, and now you've got a girlfriend. And you haven't given me any details!"

"Charlie-" she groaned in protest.

"Come on, she seemed like a sweet girl in the car. Of course, she was clearly still embarrassed by the fact that I walked into your room and found her naked in your bed…"

"She would be. She's not very…she's reserved."

"Ah, a prude? Really, now? And she got you?"

"She's not a prude, she's just…"

"Is she like…the repressed bookworm type."

"No, she does read a lot though," Tawni said. "She's always raising money for literacy programs and things."

"Well, I just meant—she's, you know, all goody goody in public, but a demon between the sheets."

"This just got awkward."

"Oh, come on, what else is a gay uncle good for?"

She laughed in spite of herself. "We've only done it once. And it was back when you met her. It was…different. It was good. It was great, but…different. I don't know. I was really upset."

"Wait…only once? How is that possible? Haven't you guys been dating for, like, a week?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Oh, is it that time of the month?"

"No!"

"Well, then how come-"

"She's just—well, she's being ridiculous. She wanted to go out on a date, right? I mean, I told her… I told her I wanted her and she was all 'well, I don't do casual sex' so she said I had to try it her way. So I took her out on a date and when we got back to her place she just…shut the door in my face."

"What?"

"She goes: 'I don't put out on the first date'."

A huge grin spread across Charlie's face. "Oh, I like this girl."

"Shut up, this is cruel and unusual punishment. It's unconstitutional."

He laughed. "So, she's making you wait? She wants to take things nice and slow…"

"We've already slept together so it doesn't make sense."

"Well, she probably just wants to know she can trust you, and given your past , I can't blame her."

"Her mother hates me. And Sonny..." she frowned. "Sonny wants us to have dinner with her. She wants to make us get along. She always wants everyone to be all happy and friendly."

"Wow. Sounds like a terrible thing," Charlie replied, completely deadpan.

She glowered at him. "I'd rather go back to talking about my money…"

He rolled his eyes. "Well, after six seasons, you should have close to a million in your Coogan account—it's 15% of your earnings, right? We can look into emancipation. But I don't know how quick the process is. It might be easier and faster to just wait 'til your birthday."

"Three fucking months!" she groaned and pulled her blanket up over her head.

"Sorry, Tawn… that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Under her blanket, she couldn't help but smile.


	4. Peace Picnic! Sort of!

**Chapter Four: Peace Picnic! Sort of!  
><strong>

Sonny had been rushing about her apartment for the better part of three hours making her preparations. She wanted everything to be perfect. After all, neither her mother nor Tawni wanted to be there, neither of them cared to make nice with one another. But they had agreed for Sonny's sake and she would need all the help she could get if she wanted the evening to go smoothly.

It was true that, at least as far as Sonny knew, neither Connie nor Tawni had been overtly aggressive or unkind to one another yet, but there was a growing tension all the same and Sonny figured them spending a prolonged amount of time together posed an obvious risk of emotions finally bowling over.

Connie didn't like the fact that Sonny was out at all and she blamed that on Tawni, and when coupled with her dislike of the blonde's sexual... lack of reserve... well, she just didn't think she was a good fit for her daughter. At all. On Tawni's end the issues were simpler- she would rather spend her time elsewhere. She didn't care if Connie liked or approved of her, so winning her over just didn't matter. But she would be cordial at best, and Sonny didn't expect Tawni to be the one to start anything... though she would certainly retaliate if provoked, and it didn't take a whole lot to set her off.

"Mom, could you maybe set the table please?" Sonny asked, poking her head out of the kitchen for a moment.

Connie was on the couch, her feet up on the coffee table, watching Mackenzie Falls reruns. She clicked off the television and made her way toward the nicer flatware at Sonny's behest.

"Thank you!" Sonny grinned before disappearing back into the kitchen. As she checked all of her food, all of which was very nearly done, she ran over potential conversation topics in her head- desperately trying to find something that Tawni would have in common with her mother. Common ground was essential if they were to forge a peace.

"Sonny?" Connie stepped into the kitchen. "You made extra, right?"

"What? Oh, yeah. We'll have leftovers for a day or two, I think," Sonny nodded. "That's what you asked for, right?"

"Yes," Connie nodded, her eyes shifting.

Before Sonny could ask what was wrong, the doorbell rang. Sonny turned off the dials on the stove and pulled her apron off, rushing to the door.

She was greeted by an already-bored looking Tawni, with a bottle of wine in hand.

When Sonny eyed the bottle warily, Tawni smirked. "It's for your mom. Charlie sent it."

"Oh, well, tell him thanks," Connie replied, appearing behind her daughter.

Tawni handed her the bottle.

"Your uncle...Charlie, is it?" Connie asked, looking to Sonny for confirmation that she had remembered the correct name.

"Yep, Charlie."

"So, you're staying with him still?"

Tawni nodded, still standing in the doorway.

"So...come in," Sonny insisted jovially, gesturing for her mother to step aside. "Dinner will be ready in just a second, but you two can just take a seat on the couch in the meantime."

"Nice of you to offer me that in my own home," Connie muttered.

Sonny half-laughed, nervously. "You know what I mean."

Tawni slowly made her way over to the couch, but at the last second opted to sit in the adjacent chair instead. "So..."

"So..." Connie replied.

After several silent minutes passed, Sonny popped back out of the kitchen. "Alright, just grab your plate off the table and serve yourself."

Tawni and Connie both jumped up, suspiciously quick, and hurried to the kitchen. At least with food in their mouths, they wouldn't have to make conversation.

As soon as the three of them were seated and about to take their first taste, there came another knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Connie rose from her seat.

"Did you invite Chad and the boys over to?" Tawni asked. "Make a big ol' peace picnic out of it?"

"No," Sonny shoot her head. "Just try, ok? I'm sure you guys have something in common you can talk about."

"Ha," Tawni laughed coldly. "I'm sure."

"Tawni," a familiar voice caused her to turn her head. Her jaw dropped.

Standing in front of Connie were her own parents, Tom and Tammy Hart.

Tawni jumped up, throwing an utterly betrayed look at an equally stunned Sonny.

"Listen, Tawni," Tammy spoke up. "I know we've had our differences. But we think we can work this out. As a family. We'll get you the help you need and- "

"I don't need any help," Tawni interrupted. "What I need is my money. Where is it?"

"Somewhere safe," Tom replied, folding his arms across his chest. "So you won't be able to waste it on drugs and whores and whatever else you people do."

"What?"

"Ok, ok," Tammy glared at her husband. "Let's all just sit and talk this through, alright?"

"No, I don't have anything to say to you."

"Tawni, just hear them out, they are your parents," Connie suggested, trying her best to sound like it was the blonde girl's welfare she was concerned about.

"I knew this would... I knew you didn't just want me to make friends with your mother," Tawni hissed, redirecting her anger back at Sonny.

"No, I didn't-"

"Your father made some investments. Property, mostly."

"Why?"

"Because we were worried you'd try and withdraw all of it and run off or something."

"Or because I'll be eighteen soon and you wanted to make sure you guys had a nice retirement jackpot to sit on."

"You can get your money back if you make an effort to behave in a more appropriate way and-"

"I'm sick of everyone wanted me to behave a certain fucking way!" Tawni snapped. "How the hell is it anyone else's business-"

"I think you guys need to leave," Sonny finally managed to speak, though her voice was barely above a whisper and went ignored by everyone else in the room.

"Oh, they can stay, I'm out of here," Tawni barked, trying to make her way to the door.

Her father grabbed her firmly by the arm. "Tawni, sit down. We're going to figure out a plan."

"No, we aren't," she replied. "Let go of me."

"I am your father, girl."

"Sure as hell aren't acting like one."

His eyes flared up, but he controlled himself. "Sit down."

"Go to hell."

Tammy put a hand on her husband's shoulder and squeezed it gently, encouraging him to let go. The last thing she wanted was for him to lose his temper in front of other people.

Reluctantly his grasp loosened and Tawni jerked herself free, snapping up her coat off the back of the chair and pulling open the door. She slipped one livid glance at Sonny before slipping out the door and slamming it behind her.

"Well, that went well," Tammy frowned.

"She was just surprised," Connie suggested. "I think if you go and talk to her at Charlie's, things will go over better. You just need to make her listen and you need to be willing to listen to her too. These are our children and our concern is only for their safety." She looked at Sonny as she said the last bit, hoping her daughter realized she was only acting in her best interests.

"Charlie?" Tom's eyes widened. "She's staying with Charlie?"

"Well, yes, I think it was Charlie," Connie nodded, looking to Sonny for reassurance.

"Of course it was," Tom growled. "That son of a bitch."

"I thought Charlie said she wasn't staying with him."

"He did. She denied it too," Tom scoffed. "I should've known better than to trust either of them. Well, we'll have to play Charlie a little visit then."

"Maybe not tonight. You want to give her some time to cool down," Connie suggested. "Maybe cool down a bit yourself too."

A few seconds of awkward silence past before Connie spoke up again. "You're welcome to stay for dinner still. Sonny made all of this and there's plenty for everyone."

Sonny glared at her mother.

"No, that's alright," Tammy replied. "We'll just grab something on the way home."

Tom turned and stormed out of the apartment at that, quickly followed by Tammy.

"I can't believe you did that..." Sonny's eyes were brimming with tears. "How could you?"

"I know you're upset but she needs to work things out with them. They're her parents."

"He hit her! And you saw the way he got... he's violent. She doesn't need to go back to that. And they stole from her. And you... you only did this because you're afraid for me and you don't have any reason to be! You don't care if she works it out with them, you just want her away from me. Well newsflash, Mom, I'm already out. There's no going back. So even if Tawni and I broke up, as far as the public is concerned, I'm still a homo. You need to accept that."

"Sonny, you know I don't have a problem with you being-"

"I didn't think you did! But now... you are sure going to great lengths to prevent me-never mind. I'm not going to talk about this with you," she threw her hands up. "I've got to go find Tawni."

"You mean before she goes and finds someone else to sleep with?" Connie frowned, crossing her arms. "Because if it was a normal girlfriend, you wouldn't have to worry about a fight meaning she'd run off and fuck the first thing she sees, but with Tawni, well...if it moves, it's fair game, right?Am I such a terrible mother for wanting you with someone who actually values you as a person, not a sex toy?"

Sonny's eyes darkened and she pursed her lips tight to keep from saying anything she'd regret. She grabbed her coat off the rack by the door and left, completely ignoring her mother's continued protesting.


	5. Scared of the Sound

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry this took so long. Things have been hectic lately. Busy, busy, busy. 'Tis an angsty chapter. Title from the Kings of Leon song "Cold Desert"- it's Tawni's theme song for the chapter. ;) **  
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**Chapter Five: Scared of the Sound  
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"I had no idea they were going to be there, Tawni. I swear. I wouldn't do that to you—you know that. I don't know what my mom was thinking, but I had nothing to do with it. Please, you have to believe me," Sonny sighed, still looking around in hopes of seeing the blonde nearby. "Call me when you get this, please.

She slipped her cell phone into her coat pocket and glanced up and down the street a few more times. There were only two places she thought Tawni might be—or rather, hoped she might be—there were plenty of other places, other rooms with other girls, but Sonny refused to believe that was the case. Although, it wouldn't be out of character for Tawni to do that… not at all. She shook her head, as if doing so would remove her doubts, and walked over to the bus stop.

* * *

><p>Her head was on fire and her heart was pounding in her ears. She didn't cry. Wouldn't cry. But God was she mad! This snarl in her chest had been tightening for days and sometimes she could ignore it, sometimes it didn't bother her too much. Like when she was with Sonny. They could watch a movie or talk or make out and it would take her mind off of it. Off of everything. None of this made any sense at all.<p>

And she didn't know what was the worse, the hate or the love... She felt like maybe she could deal with the bad stuff better if she didn't have the good. If she didn't enjoy being with Sonny so, so much, then she could just shut down her feelings and be wholly resilient to everything else. She could just turn her heart off. But she couldn't shut down with Sonny, not completely. And so she left herself open to any number of hits.

It was so much easier before. No responsibilities to anyone but herself. Was she happy? Happy enough...right? She didn't have to make an effort. She didn't have to try so hard. For someone else. And for herself, right?

She wanted to cry. Or hit something. Or maybe just get really, really drunk...

* * *

><p>Even though it was after dark, Sonny put sunglasses on before entering the bar, and pulled the collar of her coat up to try and block as much of her face as possible, just in case the paparazzi, or worse, the police, were anywhere near.<p>

She had only been to Charlie's bar once before, also when Tawni was terribly upset. She entered easily enough, not attracting any attention at all, and scanned the place for any sign of her runaway girlfriend, or of Charlie, for that matter- if he called, Tawni would probably answer. She found him busy at work behind the bar and decided she'd take a seat in a corner booth and wait for a calm moment before approaching him. She pulled her phone out and started to text Tawni again.

"What makes you think I wanted to be followed?" a familiar voice interrupted her efforts.

"Tawni!" Sonny exclaimed, startled but glad.

The blonde stood over the front of the table, arms crossed. Sonny couldn't really read her expression. Maybe a little angry, maybe just confused. Pleasantly annoyed was the mood the dark haired girl settled on, though it didn't make much sense.

"I left six messages and I don't know how many texts..."

"Too many. I turned my phone off."

"Tawni-"

"You wanted to check up on me? Make sure I was alright? At least, that's what you'll tell me, right? Really, you just wanted to make sure I wasn't bedding some other girl."

"I didn't have anything to do with them showing up, Tawni. I had no idea!" Sonny explained.

Tawni didn't reply, only stared fixedly on her costar.

"What do- do you believe me?" Sonny asked.

Still no response, though Tawni broke eye contact this time, dropping her gaze to the table top.

"Tawni?"

Slowly her green eyes moved back up to Sonny's face. "You didn't know they'd be there?" she asked, her tone requesting verification more than suggesting surprise.

"No, I have no idea what my mom-"

"She wants to get rid of me. You have no idea? She hasn't exactly been covering her tracks, Sonny. She thinks I'm some vicious predator out to corrupt her kid or something."

"She's just-"

"No, that's it. She's afraid of you being out in public, well, too late to turn back now, right? So it can't just be that. If we end this, it's not like the public is just going to forget you're queer. So it's _me_ she doesn't like, not the situation. And I really don't care if she likes me or not, but _you_ do. That's why you wanted to have this dinner in the first place."

"But I didn't know she'd invite them! She knows what they did, she knows how they feel... she might not be thrilled with this, but she wouldn't try and... she probably thinks they can change, they just need some educating. And she might be right, they could-"

Tawni sat down and slid across the seat until she was right next to Sonny, her eyes were burning. "Is that what this is about? You didn't invite them, but now you think maybe it wasn't such a bad idea, so you're mom sent you here to try and coax me back so I can have a little family reunion with the parents who stole most of my money and hit me and kicked me out of the house?"

"No, I didn't mean... I just don't think my mom was trying to hurt anyone with this. She meant well, I'm sure of it, she just...didn't think things through."

"Ah, so, you get that from her, do you?"

"Tawni-"

"Your mom doesn't think I'm good enough for you. You're her little angel and I'm some bitchy whore who is out to ruin your life. That's it. She invited them because she wanted me to leave with them and get away from you. Plain and simple. You can deny it all you want. I know you and your mom are close. I know that. You guys are all buddy-buddy and trusting and you don't want to see what she's doing, fine. I don't care, Sonny, I really don't. But don't try and convince me. I'm not as naive as you and I never will be."

"You're right, I'm close with my mom. I wanted my mom and my girlfriend to get along. Is that so awful?"

"No, but it's not going to happen. I'm dating you, not her. I don't need to be friends with her. And if that's a problem for you, then, well, too bad. We don't have to be together. Not that we really have been anyway."

"I didn't mean for this to happen, Tawni," Sonny said. "Ok? I'm sorry. I was just trying to make things easier."

Tawni leaned back and folded her arms in front of her chest. "Easier for who? Because I'm pretty sure I haven't been cut any slack since we started this."

"What are you talking about? That's ridiculous. You haven't-"

"I have to change. I have to do things your way. I have to be friends with your mom. What do you have to do? Why do I have to do all the work while you just get to sit there and...expect me to be someone else?"

"I don't expect you to be someone else. What on earth are you-"

"Yes you do. You keep trying to change me."

"Monogamy! That's it. That's the one thing I've asked," Sonny argued. "Well, and this dinner, but that is hardly a big deal- I didn't ask you to make up with your parents. I didn't have anything to do with them showing up. I was just hoping that if my mom spent a little time with you, if you guys talked, maybe she'd see that you weren't so terrible."

"Monogamy_ and_ celibacy! That's a huge change!"

"So this is still all about the sex, then? Fine! Let's go have sex! Will that make you quit acting insane?"

"Probably."

"Then let's go. Where do you want to go? You're choice."

Tawni didn't reply.

"Well, you want to shove me up against a wall somewhere? Maybe there's a closet we could hide in? Or the restroom?" Sonny suggested bitingly. "Or do you think you can hold out long enough for us to get out to Charlie's?"

"This is the 'right moment' you were waiting for?" Tawni asked mockingly.

"Of course not! But you're being ridiculous and since everything means so little to you..."

"I never said that!"

"You didn't have to!"

"Why are you here, Sonny?"

"What?"

"Why are you here? Why did you come find me? And why do you want to be with me at all? If it's not about the sex, I really don't see what I have to offer you."

Sonny tilted her head to the side, confused. "I came and found you because I wanted to make sure you were alright. And..." she hesitated, but then decided to just be frank about it. "Because I wanted to make sure you weren't cheating on me already."

Tawni nodded, knowing and aggravated.

"I like being with you, Tawni. We have fun together. You're insane sometimes, or most of the time, but... I don't know. What do you want me to say? Why are you with me? 'Cause I refuse to believe it's just for the sex."

Tawni didn't reply and wouldn't look at her.

"Hey, kiddos!" Charlie joined them then. "Dinner already over?"

They both looked over at him, their expressions somber and defeated.

"Oh, ok then, dinner didn't go as planned?" he turned to Tawni. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" she snapped.

"She didn't, it wasn't her," Sonny interjected quickly, putting a hand on Tawni's shoulder, hoping to calm her down. Instead, the blonde just swatted her arm away angrily.

"My mom invited her parents over to join us. I didn't know about it beforehand."

"Ah, well, Tom and Tammy make a good show of themselves?"

"No."

"So...what's with all the tension?" he asked. "Other than...you know._ That_."

Sonny's eyes widened. Tawni so did not discuss their sex life- or lack thereof- with her uncle... did she?

"Hey, I think it's great. I approve completely. You hold out as long as you can, Sonny. She deserves it."

Sonny could swear the room got colder and she was afraid to look over at an undoubtedly livid Tawni.

"So, the tension?" Charlie pressed.

"I don't know," Sonny sighed, glancing sideways at Tawni, who was still refusing eye contact.

He turned his attention to his niece. "Tawn?"

"I'm tired. I want to go home," she got out of the booth without saying goodbye to either of them and made for the door.

"She's got a lot going on right now," Charlie said, turning to Sonny. "I mean, I know she's never an easy person to deal with, but she's really stressed out with all of this drama with her parents and her money. Things are at least better at work now, but there's still a lot of protests and people writing nasty things online- which she reads all the time. I tell her not to, but you know how she is- if it's about her, she's got to read it, right? Anyway, I think a lot of it gets to her more than she likes to let on."

"Some of the stuff people say is pretty awful," Sonny nodded. "I've read some stuff, but generally, I really try and avoid it."

"Yeah, and you're dealing with a lot of that too, but at least you have your mom still. I mean, she might have issues with Tawni, and I don't blame her for that, Tawni's...an acquired taste. But you don't have to wonder whether or not she loves you. Tawni... well, she's got me. And she knows I love her, but I'm not her parent. I don't know. She just isn't as untouchable as she likes to pretend. Be patient. She obviously really likes you, Sonny, or she wouldn't be waiting for you. That is a big deal for her. So she is trying."

"I know she is. I just wish it wasn't so hard for her."


	6. Turning the Tables

**Author's Note: **Two chapters in two days! May not be anywhere near as prolific as Tracy Cook (nor my stories ever as juicy as hers), but that's pretty good for me!**  
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**Chapter Six: Turning the Tables  
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"Are they still doing that Cash for Clunkers thing? I was thinking I could trade my car in and get something new. I'm so bored of being stuck with the same car," Tawni asked, taking a seat on the sofa at her uncle's house. It was barely after midnight and he'd just gotten home from work. It was one of his early nights, which meant it was a movie night with Tawni.

"Um, no. They aren't. And it really wouldn't apply to you and your 2010 Porsche, Tawn," he replied, trying not to laugh. She really lived in her own little world.

She sighed. Nothing was going her way these days.**  
><strong>

Charlie knew her better than she ever gave him credit for and he knew exactly what was on her mind. "Sonny's a sweet kid. You don't need to be so short with her," Charlie said, handing his niece a cup of cocoa as he sat beside her on the sofa.

"Why are you taking her side? You're supposed to always have _my_ back."

"I'm not taking sides, I'm just...look, I know things are rough right now, you've got a lot of obstacles, but Sonny isn't one of them. She cares about you. I barely know her and I know that."

"She's just that type of person. She's always concerned about other people and all that jazz," she said it as though it were an extremely undesirable trait.

"Alright, well, I know the withholding sex thing is getting to you-"

"Can you just put the movie in?" she interjected, handing the DVD to him. They had movie night at least once a week in which they watched old classics. This week's movie was _Casablanca_, a favorite of both of theirs. Tawni had Charlie to thank for her love of 1940s and 50s cinema, though it was a passion of hers no one else knew about. Obviously it wasn't the sort of thing that needed to be kept private, and anyone who looked at her personal DVD collection would've noticed, there was nothing scandalous about it, but Tawni preferred not to clue others into her interests- lest she be forced to invite them to partake, or worse, be invited to partake.

"You should invite Sonny over for movie night some time," he suggested, taking the DVD and putting it in.

"I see her every day at the studio, before, during, and after work."

"She's your girlfriend. You ain't never gonna get laid if you don't spend time with her."

"I'm fine, Charlie. I can wait. I'm not a nymphomaniac. I like sex. I'd rather be having it than not having it. But I'm not going to run off and jump the first thing that moves like everyone thinks. I do have some self-control."

"It's hardly a leap to assume you would, Tawn, I mean-"

"I never made promises to any of those girls. I never lead them to believe it was more than what it was. I was upfront and straightforward about everything. It isn't my fault if they wanted more. Not that I blame them, obviously, but still. You guys all act like I'm just out to hurt everyone, all the time, just for fun. I'm not."

"Tawni, I didn't mean that."

"You, Connie, Sonny... none of you trust me, not really. I mean, you love me because you're my uncle, Sonny insists on seeing the good in everyone no matter what, and Connie, well, she's just being a mom, I guess. None of you think I deserve Sonny. But I don't see what's so great about her that I'm not enough. I'm Tawni Hart, for Christ's sake!"

"You don't see what's so great about her, huh? See, I find that hard to believe. Obviously there's something special about her, or you wouldn't be doing this, right?" he mused.

She didn't respond.

"Why are you doing this, Tawni? Why do you like Sonny enough to do this, if there's nothing special about her?"

"I don't know."

"Yes you do."

"Push play already."

"Tawni-"

She reached for the remote, determined to take matters into her own hands, but he snatched it up before she could and held it away from her. "No Rick and Ilse until I get some more details about Tawni and Sonny."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in a huff.

"Come on now..."

"If you think she's so great, why do I need to explain why I like her? You don't need to be convinced of her good qualities, obviously. You're a total Sonny fangirl."

"I think it will help you to say it out loud, Tawni," he explained, his expression softening. "You're confused by all of this and it's new to you and you think you don't know what you're feeling. But you do. Deep down, you do. Just say it. Try and explain it to me."

She eyed him curiously. This seemed suspiciously like a trap.

He waited.

"I...I don't know, Charlie. She's cute and sweet and smart- most of the time, at least. She's funny."

"Yeah, but there's lots of pretty girls who are smart and funny and sweet. What makes her different for you?"

She hesitated a moment, but then the floodgates opened and it all poured out. "She always tries to make things better for everyone. And a lot of the time, it blows up in all of our faces, but she tries and she's made things a lot better for me. She's the only friend I've had in a really long time and she...she's the only person, other than you, who doesn't think I'm a lost cause. She thinks I can be more, she thinks I can be better. And I know I can trust her, with anything, because Sonny would never do anything to hurt me intentionally. And I don't know, maybe some of those other girls could be all of those things too, but I didn't give them a chance, but I don't think it would've mattered. Most people form a pretty set-in-stone opinion of me after one meeting. Most of those girls wanted me because I'm really fantastic in bed, not because they actually cared about me. And I don't know what Sonny sees in me other than great sex-she came over twenty times that first night we were together- but I know that isn't what she wants me for. She wants me for me. And no one else ever has."

He nodded. "Alright, well, I think you ought to hold onto that then, kid. Sounds pretty special to me. And you know who'd probably love to hear it? Sonny."

"Ha, yeah right," Tawni scoffed. "Can we watch now?"

He smiled and conceded, pushing the play button and relaxing. _Twenty times? Damn. Women definitely win that one._

* * *

><p>"Where on earth have you been?" Connie asked, trying her best not to yell as her daughter entered their apartment for the first time since storming out the night before.<p>

"I slept at the studio," Sonny replied before taking a seat in the armchair in their living room. She looked over at Connie on the sofa. "Why did you do it? You know how they are and you know-"

"Sonny, they are her parents, she needs-"

"Is that really why you did this? Really? For Tawni's own good? Honestly?" Sonny inquired. "I want the truth. We always tell the truth. You taught me that."

Connie sighed. "I don't want you seeing her, Sonny."

"Why not?" the brunette asked, saddened by her mother's response being exactly what Tawni said it would be. Deep down, she had known as much, but she was hoping against hope that her mother's intentions had been good.

"Because you're just going to get hurt. She's not a good fit for you, at all. I'm sorry that I had to resort to calling her parents over, but my responsibility it to your well-being first."

"Tawni isn't the wicked witch of the west, Mom. She's kind of a diva and isn't always the nicest person, but she's not evil. She's a good person. She has a good heart. She just... tries really hard to hide it."

"She does a pretty good job of that, if you ask me."

"I'm not going to stop seeing her."

"Sonny-"

"I'm not. I wanted to try and smooth things over between you two. I wanted you to maybe see that she isn't so bad, but you went and sabotaged everything without even trying. And I hate that. Because I'm not the kind of person that want to make my parents unhappy. I don't want to go against you. But... I'm not going to stop seeing her. I'm not giving up on her. If I get hurt, oh well. It happens. I'll move on. I'll mend. You can't protect me from everything. And I don't need you to. I need you to support me and my choices. And who I'm with is my choice, not yours."

"Sonny, I _do_ support you. Tawni doesn't-"

"You have know idea what Tawni does or doesn't do because you've never bothered to get to know her."

"Her father is violent," Connie countered, desperately seeking whatever evidence she could use against the blonde that had somehow snared her daughter's affections. "That sort of thing runs in families..."

"Oh my gosh, are you kidding me? I can't believe you just..." Sonny threw her hands up in defeat and rose from the chair. "I'm going to shower and then I'm going to work."

* * *

><p>Tawni hung up the phone just as Sonny entered the dressing room. "Hey, I finally found a new manager."<p>

"Congrats!" Sonny replied, more interested in other details of her girlfriend's life than her staff choices. "Are you still mad at me?"

Tawni turned in her chair and tilted her head to the side. "No, I guess not."

Sonny beamed that infectiously huge smile of hers.

"You are too easy to please."

"And you're not easy enough," Sonny said, stepping closer.

"I don't know that anyone has ever said that about me."

"Yeah, I kind of regretted my word choice as soon as I heard it," Sonny laughed.

Tawni slipped her arms around Sonny's waste and pulled her close, kissing her deeply. Sonny's hands made their way up into the blonde's hair. The brunette pulled her girlfriend back toward the couch, where she gently pushed her down and straddled her. One hand stayed behind the blonde's head, tangled in her silky locks, while the other started to make it's way down, unbuttoning Tawni's jeans.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Tawni sat up, pushing Sonny back, out of breath.

"I...uh... what does it feel like I'm doing?"

"So this is your 'right moment'?" Tawni's tone was somewhere between accusation and...amusement? Sonny could not quite tell.

"Wha- I... do... you not want to?" Sonny could barely believe she was having to ask that question.

Tawni smirked, but didn't reply, only eased Sonny off of her lap completely and made for the door. She tossed an inexplicable half-grin back at the bewildered brunette before exiting.

"Aw, man!" Nico groaned from up in the vent. Zora had not lied about it being the best seat in the house, but what good was that when the show wasn't even happening?


	7. Consumed with What's to Transpire

**Author's Note:** Chapter title comes from another Kings of Leon song, "Sex on Fire". Also, if anyone looks into it, you will see that I messed up in 'Moon on a Stick' with my timeline. As a result, I may be a little off in claims made in this chapter, but I just don't have the energy or drive to actually go through both stories and figure out exactly how long it's been since the saga began for our two favorite Randoms. I'm off to the beach for a few days, so leave me some reviews to return to! As always big thanks to those of you that do and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**  
><strong>

**Chapter Seven: Consumed with What's to Transpire**

"I just...I messed up. I know I did," Sonny said, her head on the table. "I waited too long. And now she's back in 'you don't sleep with friends' territory."

"That's crazy," Grady replied, though he was more focused on his sandwich, a Sloppy Jonas, than Sonny's saga. Nico gazed in amazement as more of the slop wound up on his friend's face than in his mouth.

"I knew I had a small window- keep her waiting long enough to know I could trust her, but not so long that she loses interest."

"Like dog training. A dog can only handle so much training before his attention begins to stray," Zora plopped down next to her castmates, donning her pink Blossom Scout uniform. "We're working on our Pet Care badges."

"Did you just compare Tawni to a dog?" Nico asked, amused.

"Better not let her hear you say that," Sonny smirked.

"Well, she _is_ a bitch..." Nico's shrugged, half grinning.

Sonny gave him a half-hearted punched him in the shoulder. "She is not."

"Who's not what?" Tawni asked, the last Random to join the table.

"Nothing," Nico answered, playing it cool.

"Nico called you a bitch," Grady informed, nonchalantly.

"Dude!"

"Huh?" Grady's attention was still fixed firmly on his sandwich and he was not entirely aware of the conversation, though he participated nonetheless.

"The perv thinks I'm a bitch, huh?" the blonde's eyes narrowed.

Nico tilted his head and laughed uncomfortably. "Excuse me?"

"Sonny's just freaking out because she tried to sleep with you-" Zora began an effort to catch Tawni up, as matter-of-factly as possible.

"Zora!" Sonny snapped, not really wanting to discuss such things in a public forum.

"But you turned her down. Which, we all agree, sounds very un-Tawni."

"Ha," Tawni smirked. "For starters, Nico was in the vent."

"WHAT?" Sonny gasped, glaring across the table.

"Dude?" Grady's attention was, at last, pulled from his meal.

"Eww, why would you defile my living space? Please tell me you didn't jerk off up there..." Zora groaned.

"You are too young for this entire conversation. Blossom Scouts do not talk about these things," Sonny insisted, clapping her hands over Zora's ears, the younger girl merely rolling her eyes in response.

"Hey kids," Marshall pulled up a chair then, looking nervous and anxious as usual. "Sorry to interrupt, but I've got some bad news. Check It Out Girls have been banned. We're not going to include them in the show this week, or ever again, I guess, so you need to come up with something else for that slot."

"What? Marshall that's one of our most popular sketches!" Sonny countered.

"Mr. Condor is trying to minimize backlash and that sketch keeps being sited by parent-groups as inappropriate and having subliminal messages and sexuality has no place in children's programming, etc. He's just trying to cut his losses, alright? Please try and understand."

"Are you kidding me? It's obnoxious cashiers. How is there anything sexual about it?"

"Is Dolphin Boy still on the docket?" Tawni asked.

"Yeah, why?" Marshall raised an eyebrow.

"Just wondering."

"Just come up with a new sketch," he ordered before leaving them and joining his girlfriend and the studio teacher, Joy Bitterman, at another table.

"Why'd you ask about Dolphin Boy?" Nico asked, desperately wanting the conversation to steer away from his presence in the vent earlier.

"Because that's probably the most...well, _suggestive_ sketch we have," Tawni explained. "I mean, you were about to go all Dolphin Boy earlier, when you were watching me and Sonny."

"I can't believe you, Nico! That's disgusting!" Sonny snapped. "So, so not ok. At all."

"Well, look at the bright side," he offered. "Now you know Tawni wasn't blowing you off."

Tawni titled her head at that before getting up and leaving the table, without a word.

"What was that?" Zora asked, genuinely perplexed.

"Her way of saying that yes, she was blowing me off as well," Sonny groaned, dropping her head back onto the table.

"So...why don't you go talk to her?" the young girl suggested.

"She obviously doesn't want to talk."

"Since when does Sonny Munroe leave people to their own devices?"

"Yeah, come on, go Sonny things up!" Grady grinned.

Sonny rolled her eyes and got up. They were right. She needed to ask Tawni what was up, but she couldn't help but be afraid of what the blonde's answer might be.

* * *

><p>Tawni rapped her fist on the door of Sonny's apartment, a little nervous. She had rushed out of the studio after lunch, leaving her girlfriend in the lurch and paranoid, but that's just how it had to be. In fact, she knew Sonny well enough to know that the brown-haired girl was probably searching the studio high and low to try and corner her in an Important Conversation About Where They Stand As A Couple, which was exactly the sort of thing Tawni liked avoiding by staying out of relationships in the first place...<p>

Connie opened the door, dismayed at the sight of the blonde. "What do you want?"

"Can I come in?"

Connie hesitated, but her Midwestern politeness got the better of her and she stepped aside, gesturing for Tawni to take a seat.

"I'll only be a minute," Tawni reassured her, opting not to sit.

Connie folded her arms in front of her chest, waiting.

"I just have a couple questions and I thought you'd be able to help me. I know you despise my very existence, but I also know that neither of us want to be subjected to another 'peace picnic' and it's only a matter of time before we are, so why don't you just get over it and learn to tolerate me?"

Sighing with resignation, Connie plopped down on the sofa. "What are you wanting to know?"

* * *

><p>Sonny was sitting wearily on the prophouse couch, entirely preoccupied with how Tawni was going to break the news to her, if she'd even have the decency to do it face-to-face. She had not been able to locate her girlfriend anywhere in the studio and after three obsessive hours spent searching, she had given up and went to the prophouse to watch a movie in an effort to take her mind off the found herself watching an SNL marathon, but unable to enjoy it without knowing what Tawni was doing... or who she was doing...And Tawni's refusal to answer her calls did nothing to assuage her doubts.<p>

It was around eight when her phone mooed. Glancing down, she saw Tawni's name on the screen quickly answered. "Tawni?" It came out way more desperate and eager than she wanted it to.

In fact, she was so rushed in answering that it took her a moment to realize that she'd received a text, not a call. Having the same tone for both was a really dumb idea.

_Meet me out front_

She hurried off through the studio, stopping just before heading out the front entrance to gather her wits and smooth her hair. After a few deep breaths, she opened the door and walked out slowly, doing her best to appear casual and uninterested. She spotted Tawni waiting in the street in her car and so made her way over to the passenger side didn't appear to have noticed her arrival at all, though her sunglasses prevented Sonny from seeing if she had looked in her direction or not, but she seemed more focused on applying her Coco Moco Coco while looking in the rear-view mirror.

"Hey," she said, unsuccessfully trying to hide her nerves.

"Get in," Tawni commanded, still not removing her attention from the mirror. "And quit being so... twitchy."

"I'm not twitchy," Sonny replied defensively, climbing into the passenger seat. "Where have you been?"

"Avoiding whatever melodramatic conversation you want to have. I have plans."

"You're the biggest drama queen I know and you're calling me melodramatic?"

"Yeah, should give you some perspective now, shouldn't it?"

Sonny frowned. "Why didn't you answer my calls?"

"I told you, I have plans."

"Plans for what?"

"You'll see," the blonde smiled briefly.

"You still could've answered. Or texted at least."

Tawni glanced at her wristwatch and started the car, ignoring Sonny's complaints.

* * *

><p>They drove for a little less than an hour without speaking to one another. Tawni had turned the radio up so loud they couldn't hold a conversation. Sonny took the hint and slouched in her seat, bitterly, arms crossed and brow furrowed.<p>

Sonny recognized the place they pulled into, though it took her a moment. She'd only been there once before and it had been after was Lookout Mountain, a well-established location for making out in your car. It sat high on a bluff above Los Angeles and the parking lot faced west.

"Come on, we're running out of time," Tawni said hurriedly, as though it was Sonny's fault. She locked her car and lead the way up a path away from the parking lot.

"What's going on?"

Tawni didn't reply, only kept at it, trudging up the suddenly steep grade until she veered off the beaten path and into the woods.

"Tawni, you can't go there. You have to stay on the trail to minimize damage to the environment!"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Come on." She reached back and grabbed Sonny's hand and pulled her off the trail after her.

"This is against the rules!" Sonny whispered, glancing around for the sign of an angry forest ranger.

"Chill out, will you?"

After a few minutes, they came to a small space enclosed in a semi-circle of pine trees, and a perfect view west over the city. They had climbed at least five-hundred feet above the parking lot, but they could see it below. There was a pink blanket laid out on the ground, with purple wood violets spread across it and basket of wine and crackers, next to a small wood-crate.

Tawni stepped across the blanket gently, trying to avoid tracking any dirt on it, and took a seat. She patted the ground beside her.

Sonny sat down as well, a bright smile spreading across her face. "You did all this? What's the occasion?"

"It's been one month," Tawni replied, proudly.

"One month since what? We've only been dating for two weeks."

"Yeah, but it's been one month since we slept together. So one month since we've been more than just friends," Tawni corrected, then adding: "One whole month that I've gone without sleeping with you again."

"Is that why you rejected me last night?" Sonny asked, taking the opportunity to get her answer.

Tawni laughed. "Nico was in the vent. And you wanted it to be a special thing. Our dressing room isn't special."

Tawni pulled a bottle of wine and two glasses from the basket and poured.

The legality of it bothered Sonny only a moment before she just decided to overlook it. She could not believe the blonde had done all of this for her.

Tawni handed her the wood-crate and Sonny opened it. Her jaw dropped. "How did you find these here? Oh my gosh, most of these are only available in really high-end shops in Wisconsin! Cocoa Cardona! And Bessie's Blend! And Smoky Bear! Oh my gosh! These are some of the best cheeses ever. Like I can't even...oh my gosh!"

"Ok, it's just cheese," Tawni said, smiling. "Relax."

"You have to tell me where you got these, Tawni. I've looked all over L.A. trying to find places that carried some of these and..."

"I ordered it from Wisconsin. I had a friend of Chad's pick it up with his private jet so it would be here in time. I would've ordered it a few days ago, but I needed to know what cheeses you liked best and so I needed to ask your mom. And it took me awhile to get around to that."

"Wait, they flew to Wisconsin and back this afternoon?"

"No, I sent them to Wisconsin a few days ago. I just picked out the right cheese box and had them come back today. And then I had to find the right wine. And I had a hell of time finding these flowers. I mean, your mom said you liked wood violets and so I was looking for those and it took me forever to realize it was the same thing as a regular violet."

Sonny laughed.

"I should've just got you some roses. They're prettier anyway," Tawni scoffed, taking a sip of her wine.

"You didn't have to do any of this," Sonny replied, leaning over and slipping her arms around the blonde from the side and kissing her on the cheek. "But I'm glad you did."

Tawni smiled, more pleased with herself than anything. "And we're just in time to watch the sunset."

Sonny leaned her head on the blonde's shoulder. "Will we be able to find our way out of here after dark?"

"I have a lantern. And a flashlight. But I was thinking we'd just stay here."

"Yeah?" Sonny asked, moving her hand down and interlocking it with Tawni's. "It might get cold."

"I have extra blankets, and a few ideas about how we could keep warm," with a devlish grin she turned to face Sonny and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

* * *

><p>It was nearly four in the morning when Tawni awoke to the buzzing of her cell phone.<p>

Lazily she reached for it and, not recognizing the number, she didn't answer. She rolled over and snuggled closer to Sonny, who was still asleep, and pulled the blanket up over their naked shoulders for warmth.

The phone buzzed again and she turned and grabbed it again, annoyed. "Hello?" she hissed.

"Is this Tawni Hart?"

"Yes? Who is this? It's the middle of the night."

"Charles Hart is here at St. Vincent's. You're listed as his only family. We need you to come in as soon as you can."

She sat up. "What happened? Is he alright?"

"We can give you more information once you arrive. Police are waiting to talk to you as well."

"I don't understand."

"Do you need our address?"

"No, I know where you are. I'm coming," she said, hanging up and climbing out from under the blanket. She scrambled to find her clothes and dress herself.

Glancing down at Sonny, she hesitated a moment, considering waking her up, but opting not to. She pulled the blankets over her instead, so that the younger girl stayed warm, and hurried off the barely visible path. Sonny probably wouldn't appreciate waking up alone and naked in the woods, but it was the furthest thing from Tawni's mind at the moment.


	8. Hand Over Your Heart

**Author's Note: **So... this chapter is a bit shorter than most of mine, and it is especially angsty. LOL. Hope you enjoy! And the chapter title is from the same song that gave Chapter 5 it's title, Kings of Leon's "Cold Desert". (What can I say? I've been in a KoL mood of late...) Also, seriously guys? I leave for the weekend and I have over 50 visitors (even more hits) and I get 1 review. The week drags on and I get more and more visitors and only 1 more comment. This chapter was ready for posting on Tuesday, and now it's Saturday, and still only 2 reviews. I should just continue to hold this chapter hostage. Anyway, thanks Tracy Cook for reviewing all the time and thank you to all of you who've taken the time anywhere along the way.**  
><strong>

**Chapter Eight: Hand Over Your Heart  
><strong>

A smattering of chirping birds awoke Sonny. She blinked a few times, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and adjusting to the the bright morning light that trickled in through the trees. She was wrapped tightly in the blanket. Rolling over, she expected to find a certain blonde girl, the one who had arranged their whole prior evening.

An evening of Sonny's favorite cheeses, shipped from Wisconsin, with wine and sunsets and flowers... all so very romantic! And such a very un-Tawni thing to do, especially since it was all for Sonny. The blonde had gone to great lengths, dropped a ton of money- that Sonny knew she didn't have to spare at the moment, considering the current legal situations with her parents- just to make it a special occasion. And she was obviously only using Sonny's definition of special.

But now, the blonde was nowhere to be found, and Sonny felt foolish sitting naked in the woods. She set about dressing herself in a rush, all the while glancing around, expecting the blonde to show up at some point- maybe she just had to get something from the car. She waited several minutes before deciding that Tawni had no intention of joining her again and started to clean up, shoving everything into the basket, the wine bottles flat on the bottom, hidden. She shook out the blankets they used and folded them on top of everything and started to make her way out of the woods. The day before she had been convinced Tawni was going to end things, she had been excessively paranoid, but instead she got a romantic evening. And so this time, Sonny decided, she wasn't going to jump to the worst conclusions, as strange as Tawni's absence seemed. She was going to give the blonde the benefit of the doubt and assume something urgent had come up and...

Well, she still could've woken her up...but whatever. Benefit of the doubt. Tawni may have done something sweet, but that didn't mean she was suddenly completely aware of other people's feelings and needs.

By the time she got to the parking lot, it occurred to her that if Tawni had left, she was stranded. She frowned, set everything down on a vacant bench and pulled her phone from her pocket. All she got was the blonde's voicemail. After several failed attempts, both calls and texts, she called Chad instead (Nico and Grady would undoubtedly still be asleep, whereas Chad was an early rising, as per orders from his personal trainer).

It took a little over an hour, but Chad retrieved her with only a little whining.

"So...how did it go?" he asked in such a way that she knew he had known of Tawni's plans.

Still, she didn't think he needed to know any details. "It was great."

"Better be. I mean, I was without my pilot for three days. What if I wanted to spontaneously hit the Bahamas?"

"I'm sure you survived," Sonny rolled her eyes. "Do you know where Tawni is now?"

"Nope. She ditched you in the woods, huh? She has an interesting idea about romance."

"I'm sure something came up..."

"Something that meant she couldn't wake you up?"

"I don't know," Sonny shrugged. She texted Tawni again. _I'm not mad or anything, just wondering where you are._ Was it true? Maybe not entirely, but she was trying not to be upset.

* * *

><p>Two days later, when she still hadn't managed to get a hold of her girlfriend, Sonny was finding it much more difficult not to be angry, and worried. All those doubts just crept back into her head. But on top of that, she was worried about Tawni's well-being. No one had seen or heard from her. She hadn't shown up to work. Charlie's bar was closed and their home phone went unanswered as well as their cells.<p>

Sonny was trying to call Tawni yet again as she entered their shared dressing room, only to find the blonde there, frantically gathering a few things into a small bag.

"Tawni!" Sonny greeted her, unable to hide her excitement nor annoyance nor the fact that her knees went weak at the sight of the other girl, or at least she felt like that emotion was also exposed.

Tawni whirled around, startled.

"Where have you been?" Sonny asked, stepping closer, the annoyance in her voice being overridden by worry when she laid eyes upon Tawni's red, puffy eyes and the dark circles beneath them.

"I can't talk right now," Tawni replied, coldly, automatically.

"Tawni-"

"I'm not- I have to go," she zipped the bag she'd been filling and stepped past Sonny toward the door.

Sonny jumped in front of her, pressing both her hands against either end of the door-frame to prevent the blonde from passing.

"What's the matter?" the brunette insisted. "You can talk to me."

"No, I can't, now move." Tawni's face was hard and her voice was edged with frost. A little taken-aback by the venom, Sonny faltered a moment, but ultimately held her ground.

"Look, I'm just... tell me _something_, Tawni. I need something. After that night, you know... I wake up and you aren't there. And you don't take my calls and-"

"We're finished."

"And-wait, what?"

"Us. This. We're done."

"What are you talking about? Why? We just-" Sonny stopped, every doubt she'd had earlier rushing back to the forefront of her mind, and found herself asking a question she really did not want to ask. "Is there someone else? Did you cheat on me?" the last question came out more accusatory and harsh than Sonny had meant it to.

This time the blonde faltered. The second Sonny asked the question, her eyes flicked with something between hurt and indignation, but then, they hardened again, and she answered. "Yes. I did. There've been lots of someone elses... this whole time..." there was hesitation in the blonde's voice, written across her whole face, but still she kept at it. "Now I've had you again. I got what I came for."

"That's not true," Sonny stammered, more to herself than to Tawni, her brown eyes brimming with tears that she made every effort to prevent from falling.

"You really think I'd give everyone else up for you?" Tawni scoffed, though her tone betrayed something else, some pain coming from the look Sonny gave her or maybe just the words she was saying or maybe the fact that she was saying the words that created the look...

Sighing, as if it would strengthen her resolve, Tawni looked away from Sonny and pushed her aside, and the brunette suddenly didn't have the will to resist, didn't even have the will to turn and watch her leave.

If she _had_ turned, she'd have seen Tawni stop further down the hall, and look back, she'd have seen the hesitation, the weariness, the sadness. Maybe if she had turned, Tawni wouldn't have been able to keep walking in the opposite direction. Maybe. But she didn't turn and Tawni took one deep breath and quickened her pace toward the door.

Instead, Sonny's legs gave way and she slid down with her back against the door-frame, and she pressed her palms against her eyes, trying not to feel so used and open and bleeding.

Several agonizing minutes passed before Sonny could get herself together and stand again. Wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her shirt, she finds a memory of their night together slowly rising from the back of her mind.

The way Tawni looked at her there, in that place, when it was just them. The way she was so proud of having waited for one whole month. The way she said they could stay and that she knew how they could keep each other warm. That first kiss of the night and all those that followed, but especially that one, with those soft lips curled into a devilish grin that tasted of Coco Moco Coco and expensive red wine, because Tawni had said something after that had told Sonny everything.

_"I still can't believe you did all this...just for me," Sonny said softly, breaking the kiss and leaning her forehead against the other girl's and looking into the bright green eyes looking back at her._

_Tawni replied, half-smiling and a little dazed, and seeming slightly confused herself. "I kind of can't believe it either."_


	9. Like Spinning Plates

**Author's Note: **Sorry this took so long. Busy, busy, busy. And it's another sort of short one. So it goes. Title taken from the title of a Radiohead song.

**Chapter Nine: Like Spinning Plates  
><strong>

Sonny sat on the prophouse sofa, arms crossed, running the events of the past few days over and over again in her mind. It just didn't add up.

Nico had shrugged it off when she asked him his opinion: "Tawni's a selfish bitch. It doesn't surprise me she'd do something like this. You're better off without her."

Grady had found it a little too harsh, even for the blonde. He suspected something else was going on, but felt it wasn't any of his business and anyway, and he was too busy with his own drama- still trying to destroy the Emerald Weapon in Final Fantasy VII with only a single Mime materia and with Yuffie only capable of 4x-Cut. Or something to that effect. (He and his girlfriend were in the midst of a "Vintage Gaming" marathon).

Sonny was a little bit embarrassed that she'd even consulted the boys' opinion on these matters, but she still couldn't bring herself to talk to her mother about it and that left her with few options. She had called Charlie, since he was the best inside connection she had with Tawni, but he didn't answer. That left Zora and Chad- the former was too young to be useful, she thought, and the latter...well, he would probably be her best bet, actually. For some reason, she just didn't want to take it up with him. Somehow she felt he would respond much like her mother would- with a resounding 'I told you so'.

But then, he _did_ say that he thought they'd last...

"Hey Sonny," that familiar voice came from the side of the room. She could see his smug face before turning to look at him. Speak of the devil... or, _think_ of him, apparently.

"Chad," she greeted him with a nod.

He came and sat beside her. "So, rumor over at the Falls has it, there's trouble in paradise."

"Tawni and I were never in paradise," she scoffed.

"Yeah, well," he shrugged. "What happened?"

"I have absolutely no idea. Things were really great and then-bam! She dumps me and tells me she'd been cheating on me the whole time."

"Ooh, ouch. That skank."

"Shut up. I don't believe her."

"That's OK, denial is a normal one of the steps."

"Very funny," she replied with an eye roll. "I really don't think she did. I mean, just the way she said it. And the way... I don't know. She disappeared for two days and when she showed up, she was...in rare form. Something happened in those two days and I need to figure out what it was. But she won't tell me."

"So you're going to _meddle_?" he grinned.

She glared at him. "This isn't meddling...it's... problem solving."

"Uh huh."

"What did you really come here for, Chad?"

"What?"

"If you're just going to sit here and laugh at the fact that my life stinks worse than French cheese right now..."

"Sorry, I'm just...I don't know. We all told you not to get involved with Tawni."

"And there it is."

"Well, we did. But you didn't listen. You had to 'follow your heart' and all that crap. And you're doing that again now, it sounds like, if you don't believe she cheated on you. Fine. Why would she say she did?"

"I don't know."

"To make you hate her and push you away. See, Tawni does everything backwards..."

"How would you know?"

"Because she's the female version of me. We think the same way. We've already been through this, Sonny."

"You aren't _exactly_ the same."

"So something happened that must have scared her and so she's trying to get rid of you. Not because she actually doesn't want you around, but because she's afraid of having you around."

She groaned. "That makes less sense than when you raised money to _not_ buy books with..."

"Only to you because you're all honest and upfront about your feelings. Tawni isn't. But we aren't talking about how you handle things, we're talking about how Tawni handles things. Complete irrationality."

"Ok, are you two just going to sit here attempting to psychoanalyze a girl who legit thought an oven was a "hot closet" until, like, last year, and yet who can outdo me at mystery-solving, out-prank Nico, and out-friend Sonny with her own girlfriend," Zora yelled, startling the two when she jumped out of her sarcophagus.

"Hey!" Sonny leapt up from her spot on the couch. "She didn't outfriend me. What does that even mean?"

"When Lucy first visited and she actually took the time to listen to what she wanted to do- even if it was done vindictively just to upset you, she was still a better friend to your BFF, and secret GF for that matter..."

"She hasn't outdone me at anything."

"Well, she outdid you at dating Sonny. And at hurting Sonny, actually."

"It's almost eight. Shouldn't you be getting home?" Sonny asked, hopefully.

Zora shook her head, her expression gleefully mischievous."You want to find out what's up with Tawni? Well, I can help you with. I did spend a whole weekend at a Sherlock Holmes convention, remember? And while it failed me when Penelope framed you as a thief, I've since brushed up on my private investigator skills."

"I don't think-"

"You guys both know where Tawni's been staying, yes? With her uncle by the beach, correct? So we should assume that's still the case. We need to go there. Chad can go and talk to Tawni, since she obviously won't talk to Sonny, but he'll be wearing a microphone and we'll be outside listening in on everything! And then you can all get your answers and I can test out all my equipment!"

"I never volunteered to help," indignantly, Chad smoothed the lapels on his Mackenzie Falls uniform.

"But you will."

"I'm not spying on Tawni!"

"You want answers?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then take those morals of yours and stuff 'em in your song pillow, because we're doing this Zora-style!"

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I'm doing this," Chad grumbled as he turned the car onto the street where Charlie's house was.<p>

"You've said as much the entire drive, so can it already Cooper!" Zora chimed in from the back seat.

"It's not right, spying," Sonny insisted. "But I have to find out what's going on. So... maybe it's OK. Just this once. I mean, it's not like I'm going to hurt anyone, right? Except maybe myself. Right? I mean, really, I'm doing this for Tawni. If something is wrong, I mean really wrong, and she needs help, and she won't ask, then this is the only way we can help her get the help-"

"You can shut it too, Munroe!"

"Zora-"

"Detective Lancaster," Zora corrected.

"Detective Lancaster," Sonny reiterated, making no effort to hide her annoyance. "We aren't going to listen in on any more than we need to to make sure everything is alright, ok? This isn't a game."

""Uh, guys?"

Yeah, yeah," Zora rolled her eyes. "Spoil sport."

"I am _not_ a spoil sport. I'm just trying to be responsible about this. It's not even ethically-"

"GUYS!"

"What?" they both turned to him, annoyed that he'd interrupted their spat.

"I think I found part of the problem."

They followed his gaze, squinting in the dark until he turned the car in toward Charlie's, parking so that the headlights shined directly on the house- or what was left of it.

The whole place was a charred black mess, surrounded by yellow police tape. "Oh my gosh..." Sonny whispered.

Chad opened the door and got out of the car, walking up to the edge of the tape. "It looks like the whole place was gutted by the fire. Did you know about this?"

"Of course not!" Sonny snapped, frantically pressing the buttons on her phone.

"What makes you think she's suddenly going to answer?" Zora asked quietly, though her tone more sincere than mocking this time.

"I've tried calling Charlie and he hasn't answered," she stammered. 'Do you think...? I mean, he could be..."

Chad took out his phone and called Tawni. No answer. He sent a quick text: _Just went to our place...um?_

She responded a few seconds later: _There was a fire._

_Obviously. Are you guys OK?_

_Yes. Charlie's still in the hospital.  
><em>

_Where?_

This got no reply and he climbed back into the car, filling Sonny and Zora in on the few details he'd received, shifting into reverse and pulling out of the driveway.

Several minutes past with the trio driving in mournful silence, until Chad's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and tapped the screen with his thumb.

"You shouldn't text and drive," Sonny said, weakly.

He showed her the text: _St. Vincent's.  
><em>


	10. I Will Hold On

**Author's Note:** I'm off to the beach again for a few days, so I thought I'd leave you guys an update again. :) Theme song of the chapter is 'Service Bell' by Grizzly Bear (preferable the version featuring Feist). Now, continuing with the angst-fest...**  
><strong>

**Chapter Ten: I Will Hold On  
><strong>

_"I know what you're doing, Sonny," Tawni said, gently pushing the brunette back on the couch in their shared dressing room and straddling her. _

_"Do you now?' Sonny replied coyly._

_"Uh huh," the blonde leaned down and kissed the girl beneath her. "I know your plan exactly."_

_"And what is that?" Sonny asked, playing ignorant._

_ Tawni grinned and leaned to the side, propping her head up on her elbow. "You think that by holding out on me you'll make me have some epiphany about the 'true value of physical intimacy' or something like that. You think you'll change my attitude about sex."_

_"Maybe I just want to torture you a bit," Sonny responded, nonchalantly. _

_"Torturing someone isn't your thing."_

_"There are always exceptions." _

_Tawni shook her head, unconvin__ced. "You couldn't pull it off. You aren't the vindictive type." _

_"You aren't the girlfriend type either, right? And yet, here you are."_

_"Hmm," Tawni kissed her again. "Here I am."_

A hand on her shoulder gently shook the blonde out of her revelry.

"Huh?" Tawni turned and looked up the arm, her gaze ending on the concerned face of a nurse. Her name was Annie and she had been on-duty the last few days.

"You need to eat something, dear," Annie insisted. She'd been at this for the last forty-eight hours at least.

Tawni rolled her eyes. "I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat all the same," the nurse patted her shoulder. "Come on, I'll eat with you. We'll be quick, I promise. Come on now."

Reluctantly, Tawni got to her feet and followed Annie out of the room and off toward the cafeteria.

* * *

><p>They pulled into the hospital parking lot and hurried inside.<p>

"I'm sorry, visiting hours are between**-"**

"Please, we just found out," Sonny pleaded. "We'll be quick. We just want to-"

"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do."

Zora tilted her head to the side, catching sight of something flickering on the woman's iPhone: an episode of Mackenzie Falls. "You a Mack Falls fan?"

"What? Oh, yes," the woman said, noticing the girl's gaze falling on the phone. "It's my favorite show."

Zora gestured back at Chad, who'd taken a seat and was waiting for Sonny to sort things out. He rose to his feet and joined them at the table.

"Visiting hours are over," Zora informed him. "But, she's a Falls fan."

Leaning over the counter toward the woman and flashing his best Mackenzie smile. "Are you sure?"

"Omigod! Chad Dylan Cooper!"**  
><strong>

"So, are you certain there isn't a way you can sneak us in, just for a few minutes?"

"You mean like Mackenzie and Chloe did in season 3 when Mackenzie's half-father was in a coma from a sailing accident?"

"Exactly," he winked. "That's a classic episode."

"I suppose a few minutes wouldn't hurt."

* * *

><p>Tawni wasn't in the room when they found it, at the far end of the ICU, but Charlie was. He was hooked up to a ventilator, bandages covering his face and arms.<p>

A nurse appeared a few seconds later. "Are you kids supposed to be here? I was told he had no other relatives and at this hour only close relatives are permitted-"

"He's our friend's uncle. We just wanted to make sure everything was ok," Zora replied.

"How is he doing?" Sonny asked, not taking her eyes from Charlie lying in the hospital bed.

"He's stable. He hasn't woken up yet, but he is showing signs of brain activity. It's still hard to say at this point, I'm afraid. You're friends of Tawni, then? She went to the cafeteria... finally. Poor girl hasn't eaten in days. Another nurse here, Annie, dragged her off to eat something. I imagine she'll be back soon- she doesn't like to leave his side for long. You can say hi and then you need to leave and you're welcome to come back tomorrow during visiting hours."

The three of them nodded in unison and the nurse stepped back out of the room, a little hesitant. They stood there, silently, each of them entirely unsure of what to say.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tawni's voice came from behind them, interrupting their silent vigil.

"Tawni-" Sonny started, only to be cut off by the blonde.

"I texted _you_, Chad. Just you."

"Sonny and Zora were with me," he shrugged.

"We just wanted to make sure everything was OK," Zora offered.

"Go home," the blonde growled."I don't want you here."

"Listen, we get that things aren't... that you're kind of freaking out...with all of this..." Chad tried to calm her down, to know avail.

"I'm-" Tawni stopped herself, trying to control her temper. "I'm going to walk to the end of the hall and back and when I get back here, you're all going to be gone, OK?"

She turned on her heel and marched off, out of sight.

The three exchanged slightly confused glanced, not positive whether they should obey their friends order or not.

Suddenly, Chad turned to Zora, grabbed the tiny microphone still pinned to her jacket and turned it on. Then he hurried out of the room after Tawni, gesturing for the girls to wait there.

He turned on his own corresponding microphone just as he caught up with Tawni. "Hey."

She whirled around angrily, but upon just seeing Chad alone, her rage swiftly dissipated. "Why'd you bring her?"

"Because you actually like her. You don't like me. Why would you tell me about this and not Sonny? You had to know I'd tell her."

"No, I didn't, I just... wanted some company," Tawni mumbled. "And you texted and I figured...you knew Charlie. He helped you out when your dad threw you out. I don't like you, but I knew you'd come."

"And Sonny wouldn't?"

"Of course she would! She'd be here holding my hand and bringing me coffee and doing everything she could possibly do for me..."

"And that's a bad thing?"

Tawni didn't reply, only crossed her arms in frustration and turned away from him again.

He waited a moment before changing the subject. "So...do they know who did it?"

"The _police_ don't," she replied, still not looking at him.

"But _you_ do?" he asked.

She nodded. "I can't- it was the worst thing I've ever... coming in here, in the middle of the night and... they wouldn't let me see him. He was in surgery. He was bleeding into his brain. And they made me wait and no one told me anything. They called me in and the police wanted to know all these things and... it was so awful. It was a day and a half before I could even see him. It was the longest day and a half in my life."

Chad nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You should've called us. We all would've come out here. Maybe we couldn't fix anything, but we could be here with you. It would be easier if you weren't alone."

Tawni shook her head. "My parents came by. They acted all shocked and devastated when the doctors were around. And my Mom...I don't know about her. But my Dad? He didn't care at all. He... He told me it was a trial run for Charlie-his house burning down was just a taste of the hellfire that awaits him. That's what he said. And he said that it was waiting for me too if I didn't fix myself. And Sonny... he said he would... he said he would hate it if it she had to get hurt too, before I learned my lesson. He said it with a smile."

"You need to tell the cops, Tawni, if he really had something to do with it-"

"He didn't say he did. I just... it's just the way he said it. And I told him I'd broken up with Sonny because I didn't want him to go after her too. And because I didn't- I hate the way this feels. Waiting for news...if he's ever going to wake up. I just...I don't care about a lot of people. Charlie is my only family and I hate this so, so much. And Sonny... I just... I can't do _this_ again, if something happened to her? I can't do it."

"Tawni, that's-"

"No, it's the truth. I can't_ do this_. Not caring about anyone is a hell of a lot easier. You never have to go through this if you don't care about other people. I want that back. It was simple. I can't go through this again."

"You don't know that you ever will."

She just shook her head emphatically. "I can't do it. Now... just go home, OK? And tell Sonny to stay away. It's for her own good. You don't want anything to happen to her either, I know, and my Dad is...I don't know what he'd do to her, if he'd do _this_ to his own brother. I just... I don't know. So keep her away."

She turned away from him then, and leaned against the window pane at the end of the hall, peering out over the streetlights.

He sighed and headed back to the room, gesturing for Sonny and Zora to follow him out.

Zora went quickly- the whole situation being too heavy for her. Sonny hesitated in the doorway, looking down the hall toward the window where Tawni stood, her back to them.

"I should stay," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He shook his head. "Not now."

"We have to tell the police."

"I don't know, Sonny. The police are investigating already. Tawni suspects him but... I mean, her dad is a jerk. He could've just been being an ass. She doesn't know for sure that he did it or that he had anything to do with it."

"But you still want me to leave because you think he did and you're worried he'll come after me next?" she asked, indignantly.

"Sonny-"

"I need to talk to her," she started down the hall, toward the blonde, only to be stopped by Chad grabbing her by the crook in her elbow.

"No, Sonny," he insisted. "It's not a good time. She's..." he hesitated, glancing down the hall at Tawni's silhouette. Somehow he just knew that she was aware of them both standing there, watching her. And she wasn't turning around because she didn't want to see Sonny, because chances were Sonny was the only one Tawni had wanted to call these past few days. Even had they not been dating, Sonny would've been the one she called. And she couldn't bring herself to do it for her own fears, fears for her own broken heart and for the sake of Sonny's life. Something in the rigidity of her posture, the apparent determination in her fixed stance, staring out over the busy streets below, told Chad all of this and more- because he knew Tawni better than he knew himself and at his lowest points he was never able to face anyone who mattered to him. He had never been in a situation quite this bad, but he knew how she felt all the same: like if she turned around right now, she just might shatter.

"Maybe tomorrow, Sonny," he said, pulling her after him. "Maybe try again tomorrow."

It took every ounce of strength Sonny had to force herself to turn away and follow him to where Zora was waiting for them by the elevator that would take them to the parking garage.

While they waited for it to reach their floor, she looked back and watched Tawni at the window. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and quickly typed a text message to the blonde.

She watched as Tawni looked at the screen of her own phone, staring at it long enough for Sonny to assume she was reading the message: _Remember- I'll always let you in._

The elevator dinged and Sonny boarded with the others. Tawni put her phone back in her pocket and crossed her arms. By the time the doors closed and she was out of Sonny's sight, she still hadn't turned around._  
><em>


	11. You Already Know How This Will End

**Author's Note: **Chapter title from the song 'How It Ends' by Devotchka. I honestly intend to ease up on the angst soon enough... but not yet, apparently. **  
><strong>

**Chapter Eleven: You Already Know How This Will End  
><strong>

"It's good news, though, right?" Nico asked his blonde costar, who was curled up in the windowsill of her uncle's hospital room, knees to her chest, staring at the floor. "I mean, after everything, at least there's that."

He had come down to show his support, like all her castmates had, and he'd also come with the news from the studio head, Mr. Condor, that he would be footing the hospital bill and would pay for a temporary apartment for Tawni and her uncle. After news of what had happened had reached the media, he found himself needing to do a little damage control- it seems some parties were blaming his lack of overt support for Tawni and catering to conservatives, which in turn, somehow, made him liable for what had happened. It was ridiculous, but leave it to the Hollywood gossip rags to contort things beyond reason. In any case, she was one of his biggest stars and people wanted to see him show support in some grand way and so they got it. The personal motives behind it did not go unnoticed by Tawni, however.

"Anyway," Nico attempted to start another conversation. "Grady and I have some new sketch ideas..."

She wasn't listening. She had too many things on her mind.

Had her father actually gone so far as to set the fire himself? Or was it just an unfortunate accident? The police had nothing to say yet.

Her new manager had suggested she move to New York and work on Broadway for a time. He thought she'd make an excellent Glinda and the current actress would be departing soon. She obviously couldn't move across the country with Charlie in his current state, though, tempting as it might be to start fresh.

And then there was Sonny. Her mind always seemed to wander to the brown-eyed girl whenever it got the chance- as soon as she stopped consciously focusing on something else, Sonny's face came into view. Or her hands. Or her thighs. Or her breasts.

"Damn it," Tawni breathed, shaking her head as though doing so would eliminate the memories.

"What is it?" Nico asked, not understanding how his sketch proposals could warrant such a response.

"Nothing," she said, getting to her feet and walking over to her uncle's bedside. "You don't have to hang around here, Nico."

"I was just stopping by to see how things were. We are friends, after all. In a weird sort of way."

"I know, but you don't have to feel obligated."

He nodded, not sure how to respond. He _did_ feel obligated- she was his friend, maybe not the best, but a friend all the same. They'd worked together for six years. How could he not come by and check on her? There was no way not to feel obligated in this sort of situation, was there?

He rubbed his head. "Look, why don't you come out with me for a bit? Just get a cup of coffee from somewhere other than the hospital cafeteria. I know you could use a break. Just an hour or so. There's a place right down the street. We could walk to it."

"Why? We don't hang out normally, Nico. Not just the two of us. Why should we hang out now? Just because the only person who actually cares about me, and the only person I actually care about, is laying here, all burned and bruised and..." she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I think we both know Charlie isn't the only person you care about," Nico said, crossing his arms. "And he's_ certainly_ not the only one who cares about you."

She didn't look at him. "I appreciate you stopping by, Nico, but you don't need to pretend like we're good friends all of a sudden."

"I'm not pretending anything, Tawni," he insisted. "We are friends. Not the best, but still friends. We've hung out before. Remember that time we pulled that prank on Chad? With his energy bar endorsement deal?" he couldn't help but chuckle at the memory."With the hearing loss and the funhouse vision."

A slight smile crept onto her face. "And then I made you think you had the funhouse vision too."

"Yeah, you did," he conceded with a grin. "Come on. A quick break. We can plan another prank on Chad, for once everything gets back to normal. Which it will-eventually. I know it will."

She sighed and looked over at him, hesitant. A cup of coffee sounded good, though, and the hospital stuff was gross. She reached over and gave Charlie's hand a quick squeeze. "I'll be back in a bit."

Nico threw his arm over Tawni's shoulder and walked out of the room with her. It was the first time he had ever been successful at putting his arm around the blonde, who was normally quick to shove it away.

* * *

><p>Inhaling deeply as the elevator doors parted, Sonny stepped out onto the ICU floor, a bouquet in hand. She gone over what she planned to say to Tawni a hundred times already. She wasn't going to put up with being shoved aside just because things got a little dangerous. She wasn't going to not be there when she was needed the most. Tawni had no right to make the choices for her. She had no reason to push her away.<p>

Sonny had been surprised to learn that Tawni had broken up with her out of concern for her, combined with a heavy dose of fear of getting hurt. Zora's microphone had worked superbly and she had replayed entirety of Tawni's confession to Chad over and over, as well as the memory of the argument she herself had with Chad the following morning.

_"Leave it alone, Sonny!" he yelled._

_"I can't."_

_"Yes, you can. You're just going to make things worse and get yourself hurt. This is serious. Tawni wants you to stay out of it."_

_"No, she just thinks that she needs to. She doesn't and she doesn't-"_

_"What part of 'you could get seriously hurt' do you not understand?"_

_"Yeah, well, it wouldn't be the first time someone tried to kill me over my romantic choices," she said with an eye roll, referring to the time Penelope had tried to blow her up due to jealously of her short-lived relationship with Chad._

_"Sonny-"_

_"It's not your call Chad. It's mine, OK? I don't need everyone protecting me. You, my mom, gosh, even Tawni! It's ridiculous. I can take care of myself."_

One more deep breath and she stepped through the door and into Charlie's room. Tawni wasn't there.

She sighed and set the flowers at the foot of his bed, taking a seat beside him. Tawni would undoubtedly be back soon.

"You know, Charlie," she mused aloud. "Everything would be a lot easier on everyone if you would just wake up."

She looked at him, waiting for a response. "You could tell the police what happened. You could talk some sense into your niece. You seem to be one of the only people who can do that. And you- at least as far as she's concerned- you're all she has left. I don't know what she'll do if you don't wake up. I don't really even want to think about it because Tawni... she always has to be so extreme about things. And I'm afraid she'll do something..." she hesitated. "I don't know. I haven't been myself lately. Except with the meddling. I've kept up with that, apparently."

She tilted her head to the side and took his hand, squeezing it tightly. "Here's the thing- I need you to wake up. And it's completely selfish of me and I hate that, but it's the truth. I need you to wake up because I need you to make Tawni understand that she can't live her whole life afraid of caring about anyone just because they _might_ get hurt. And if you... if she loses you... I don't know how I could convince her. But if you make it through, _you_ could. And she'll listen to you. She doesn't want me anywhere near her and she thinks I'm just naive and- I need you to make her see that it's worth the risk. She showed me that coming out was worth the risk- even after she got jumped and after her parents took all her money and after she almost got fired... she said she wouldn't take it back. And she gave me the courage to be honest about myself and I... I want to be able to give her the courage to not hide from this. She's braver than that, I know she is. And she is strong enough to get through it if anything ever did happen- that's just... that's life. You deal with it and you move on, but you never plan on the bad things happening. You can't plan on them happening because if you do, you'll be miserable forever. I need you to wake up so you can tell her that for me, OK? Because I have so much to say to her but I don't think she'll hear a word of it. Not from me."

She let go of his hand and leaned back in the chair, taking a deep breath. After a few more minutes, she got to her feet and turned toward the door.

Stepping through the door she collided with Tawni, causing the blonde to spill her coffee all over the floor.

"Damn it!"

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"There's no food or drinks in the ICU for a reason, Tawni," a nurse scolded her while simultaneously gesturing for a janitor. In all honestly, the woman seemed more amused that upset.

"Sorry," Tawni mumbled.

"Tawni, I-" Sonny started, only to be interrupted by the blonde.

"What are you doing here?" Tawni's voice came out far more meek than she wanted it to.

"I just wanted to see how he was," Sonny replied. "I wanted to see how you were."

The janitor appeared beside them and set about mopping the floor, handing Tawni a paper towel for her shirt.

Annoyed, she dabbed at the stain on her blouse to no avail and retreated into her uncle's room. "Everything's fine, Sonny. Go home."

Sonny followed the blonde into the room, placing a consoling hand on her shoulder, only to have to shoved away and her eyes meet with an icy glare. "Go home."

"No," Sonny insisted. "Stop ordering me around. You have no right to do that. I care about you, Tawni, and I'm here because you- you need me to be here. You need someone, at least, and even though you think Charlie's the only one who loves you, you're wrong. I-"

Sonny was cut off by a sudden string of quick, sharp beeps, followed by the ominous long shrill sound of the heart monitor.

"What's happening?" Tawni asked, whirling around as a team of nurses and doctors flooded the room, a crash cart in their midst, and surrounded Charlie's bed.

The same nurse who had scolded Tawni moments before ushered her and Sonny out of the room and directed them to the waiting room.

"No, I want to stay here! What's happening?"

The nurse shut the door to the room, leaving Tawni and Sonny stranded in the hallway.

After a few moments, Sonny attempted to lead Tawni to the waiting room, but the blonde simply shook her head and wordlessly slid to the floor, her back against the wall across from Charlie's room, and stared intently at the closed door.

Sonny sat down beside her then. She hesitated a second, but then reached over and clasped Tawni's hand.

Tawni made a weak effort to pull her hand away, but Sonny didn't let go and Tawni stopped fighting.

They sat in silence on the floor, waiting for the door to open again.


	12. A Welcome Arrow Through the Heart

**Author's Note: **For the record, this chapter was complete on Sunday and would have been posted sooner if the three review mark hadn't taken so long to be reached. *sigh* Chapter title comes from Snow Patrol's "You're All I Have". Also, I don't know if I've done this all through this story (or my writing in general), but I've noticed myself switching tenses quite a bit in writing this chapter- I think because I was reading a fair amount of fic before I sat down to write and so much of it is written in the second person, present tense that I started reflecting that somewhat. Or it's something I've always done and just never noticed. Anyway, I apologize for the inconsistencies of tense and hope it doesn't bother anyone too much, because I don't care enough about fanfic to actually reread my chapters before I post them.**  
><strong>

**Chapter Twelve: A Welcome Arrow Through the Heart  
><strong>

At some point, at the behest of several annoyed nurses and other hospital staff, Sonny managed to move Tawni to the waiting room proper. As resistant as she'd been initially, somewhere along the way, Tawni had lost her will to protest and just let Sonny lead her out.

Every time a nurse or doctor came through the doors, Tawni leapt to her feet, eyes wide with expectation and hope and fear, only to reluctantly have to sit down again when she realized they were coming for some other patient. There were other patients, after all, Sonny had reminded her gently in an effort to soothe the blonde's swelling rage.

And so she would pace back and forth a bit before sitting down beside the perpetually worried-looking brunette and put her head in her hands and wait.

On more than one occasion, she had dozed off and nearly fallen out of her chair, only to snap herself awake at the last second. Sonny kept telling her to rest- she hadn't slept much in days and it showed.

"I'll wake you up when they come out, I promise," Sonny reassured her, but she shook her head in refusal anyway.

It didn't matter because she fell asleep against her best efforts and slowly leaned into Sonny, who shifted delicately to allow Tawni's head to rest in her lap.

It was nearly four hours before anyone brought word of Charlie's condition.

The same nurse who had taken Tawni to the cafeteria days before emerged.

As she promised, Sonny shook Tawni awake.

"Wha-?" the blonde stammered, unawares, before remember where she was and jolting upright and to her feet. "Is he alright?"

Sonny got to her feet and stood behind her.

"He's stable again, and conscious," the nurse nodded. "He seems to be doing surprisingly well at the moment, but it's really still a bit touch-and-go. Understand?"

Tawni nodded frantically. "Can I see him?"

"In a little bit," the nurse nodded. "They're still finishing up. I'll be back out to bring you in shortly. Maybe a half hour or so. Alright?

Nodding with a little agitation, Tawni took a seat again and the nurse disappeared behind he doors.

Sonny say down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder."You ok?"

Tawni was breathing heavily, clutching her fists tightly and tapping them against her knees.

"Tawni?"

Tawni nodded before taking a deep breath and flexing her hands. "I just... I really hate this."

Sonny nodded. "Yeah."

The blonde leaned back in the chair and tried to relax, only to tense up again seconds later and move forward again.

"Maybe we should step outside?" Sonny suggested, keeping one hand on Tawni's back and moving the other to take her hand. "Get some fresh air."

Tawni looked over to the doors nervously. "Last time I left, when I came back... _this_ happened."

"It didn't have anything to do with that," Sonny replied. "Just a minute. We don't have to go far. Just through there," she pointed to a set of doors on the other end of the waiting room. "Like thirty feet."

Tawni nodded and pushed herself up. Sonny slipped an arm around her waist to help stabilize her exhausted and emotionally spent friend. With each step, Tawni seems to be leaning on her more and more, and, at the same time, she made every effort to look away from Sonny.

Outside, there was a vacant bench positioned in front of some palm trees. Sonny steered them toward it and Tawni gracelessly dropped down onto it, her breathing more labored than before and tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hands flew up and she covered her face, as though she was ashamed of the way she felt. And Sonny just pulled her close and holds her tightly.

"It's ok, everything is going to be alright," she cooed, placing a soft kiss on top of the blonde's head.

Tawni just buried her face in Sonny's chest and cried even harder.

Several minutes passed like that before Tawni pulled away and wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands.

"Sorry," she sniffled.

"Don't be silly," Sonny said, shaking her head. She gets to her feet and holds her hand out to the blonde. "Come on, maybe you can see him now."

Tawni took her hand and got to her feet and they headed back inside, fingers laced together and somehow Tawni doesn't feel quite as lost going in as she did coming out.

* * *

><p>It took a few minutes still before the nurse showed up to escort them back to Charlie's room, but when they got there, his eyes were open.<p>

"Tawni?" he blinked a few times as she approached his bedside. "Girl, you look terrible."

"Not as bad as you," she replied, smiling weakly and reaching for his hand.

"I was nearly burned alive and then in a coma, what's you excuse?"

"That you were nearly burned alive and then in a coma."

He smiles. "Yeah, well, your Dad got a little carried away this time."

"I knew it was him..." Tawni murmured, her brow furrowing.

"Well, it wasn't him technic-" he coughed to clear his throat. "He hired someone. I only know it was his doing because the guy who broke in said 'I've got a message from your brother' and then he hit me in the head with something. I'm lucky my memory is intact- at least as far as I can tell."

Tawni nodded. "Let's not talk about that, ok? You'll have to tell the cops all about it anyway."

A doctor and a nurse entered the room then, and Sonny and Tawni stepped to the side while they proceeded through a series of simple tests and administered some more medication.

"He needs his rest, so don't stay too long, kids," the doctor said to them as he left.

"You can stay as long as you want," Charlie said to Tawni as soon as the room was staff-free. "They said I was out for a few days. So I need some catching up."

"Not much has happened," Sonny shrugged.

"Aww," he grinned at his niece. "Did my near-death further delay you getting into your girlfriend's pants?" he laughed, lightly, then coughed. "Ooh, no laughing. Little painful."

"We don't need to talk about-" Tawni started, only to be interrupted by Charlie's coughing and indignant response.

"You don't want to talk about anything," he squeezed her hand. "That's usually a bad sign. Sonny? What did she do?"

"N-nothing," Sonny stammered, suddenly, her eyes darting back and forth between Charlie and Tawni.

"Come on, guys," he groaned.

"We were together when it happened," Tawni interrupted. "I... I planned a whole evening thing."

"Oh yeah, with the fancy cheese!"

"Right."

"Did they call you right before?"

Sonny was staring at her feet, her cheeks burning red, wondering how many details they actually had to give the man.

"No, after... really early in the morning."

His grin broadened. "So you did finally get laid again, eh?"

"Sure."

"Sure? What kind of response-" he stopped to cough again.

"Drink some water," Tawni suggested, handing him a full plastic cup.

He took a few sips before refocusing his attention on Sonny. "Why are you acting so weird?"

Neither of them said anything.

But before he could press the matter further, Chad entered the room. "Aw, you woke up just for me?"

"Chaddy," Charlie greeted him with a grin. "It's been ages, kid."

"Yeah, well, you know how it is."

He nodded. "So, tell me what is up with these two? Something obviously happened and they won't give me the details even though I'm playing the 'just woke up from a coma' card- which you'd think would get me almost anything."

Chad laughed. "Ah, well, they had a sappy romantic evening, complete with sex in the woods-"

"Chad!" Sonny gasped, glancing over her shoulder to make sure none of the doctors were near.

"And Tawni got a call from the hospital some time in the middle of the night, so she got dressed and booked it and left Sonny totes stranded naked in the woods with the job of cleaning up wine and blankets and cheese and all that, right? And so Sonny called me and I came and got her. And then none of us knew where Tawni was for days because she wouldn't answer Sonny's calls and Sonny was freaking out, and then she showed up and dumped Sonny- rather harshly from what I gathered- said she'd cheated on her all along anyway and stuff like that."

"You _what_?" Charlie's smile disappeared.

"Chad," Sonny pleaded. "Please stop."

"And Sonny is all devastated and confused, and doesn't understand why Tawni dumped her after they had such an amazingly orgasmic night together- her words, not mine."

"No, I_ never said that_-" Sonny interrupted vehemently, before turning to Tawni. "I mean, it _was _amazing..." and back to Chad "but I didn't discuss it with you in detail."

"ANYWAY," Chad intoned loudly, making sure the attention was back on him. "So Zora devised this scheme using some of her spy gear or something where I would go talk to Tawni and get it out of her-"

"Chad, please!"

"What? The man is wounded and wants to know the gossip! As a fellow queer boy, I cannot ignore the request! So, where was I? Oh yeah, when we got to your house, well, we saw what happened. And so then I texted Tawni and she told me you were here and we came. And she was mad that I brought Sonny and she was talking to me about how scared she was going through all of this with you and she didn't ever want to go through it again. Which, in Tawni-logic, apparently, meant she needed to cut off all connection with Sonny because she obviously cares about Sonny and she doesn't want to care about anyone, in case something happens to them. Or something like that. It was kind of nuts. Except her Dad was saying things that made it sound like maybe he would try and hurt Sonny, so she was also trying to keep Sonny safe. And I told Sonny to stay away, too... because if this really is Tom's doing, dude's a psycho and might as well steer clear of that, right?"

Charlie nodded, eyes narrowly focused on Tawni, who was staring at the floor and contemplating ways to get revenge on him.

Chad misinterpreted Tawni's angry expression as being directed at Sonny and decided to put in a good word for her: "Obviously Sonny cares about you too much to care about her own safety."

"Why are you here now, Sonny?" Charlie asked."I mean, if she did all that-"

"I didn't cheat on her," Tawni breathed, indignantly. Sure, she said so, but why did everyone have such little faith in her?

Sonny smiled inwardly at the confirmation of her own suspicions. "I came here to talk to her and then you started... crashing... and I just... stayed with her," she shrugged, because really, what else would she have done?

"Ok, well, are you still broken up?" Charlie asked, his gaze falling back on his niece, intently. "Or are you still being an idiot?" he glanced to Sonny briefly, adding: "It's a pretty standard Hart trait to be a moron about these kinds of things... feelings and such. I'm the only exception in the family."

Tawni glowered at him.

"Alright, all," the nurse entered. "We're going to take him down to get some X-Rays done and then we're going to give him some medication that will knock him out for the night. It's best if you all go home and come back in the morning. I can grab another blanket and pillow for you, if you want it, Tawni.'

"No, she's going to go and beg her girlfriend's forgiveness for being an idiot," Charlie scoffed.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Tawni found herself slouching down in the middle of the green sofa in Sonny's living room, while the other girl made her an extra hot cup of cocoa.<p>

She had so much time to sit around and think these past few days and she still couldn't quite put her finger on what it was about Sonny that made her so damn attractive. She had told Charlie before about how Sonny was different from other girls, but even so... it just didn't make a lot of sense to her that she should find the Midwestern girl so deliciously irresistable that even in the midst of as stressful a situation as she'd been in her mind would wander to Sonny at every opportunity.

"Here, hot just like you like it," Sonny said, setting the cocoa down on a coaster in front of them.

"I've been with a lot of girls," Tawni said flatly.

"I know," Sonny replied, not really wanting to talk about that fact- it was something she preferred to just overlook in Tawni.

"I've been with a lot of girls who are way hotter than you," she said, turning to face Sonny.

"Thanks?"

"And smarter and funnier and... well, maybe not nicer... but a lot of them are just better than you all-around."

"Is there a point to this?" Sonny said dryly. " 'Cause if you just came over to call me a troll than I think I'm going to take away your cocoa."

"They're better than you, except... you're the one I can't get out of my head. It makes no sense."

And just like that Sonny's frowned flipped into that bright smile she was known for. "Yeah, so, I'm just going to hold on to the tiny fraction of that whole spiel that was actually flattering and ignore the rest of it."

Tawni didn't smile back at her though, and her own grin faltered. "Tawni?"

"I just... I need to think about things."

"Ok," Sonny replied, not entirely sure what the blonde meant. "Whatever you need, Tawni."

"Can I crash on the couch tonight?" She said, not looking at Sonny. "Is that alright?"

"Yeah, of course it's alright," Sonny insisted. She had assumed Tawni was going to stay over anyway, and with her mother home, it's not like there was any option other than the couch. "I'll go get a pillow and some blankets."

Tawni nodded numbly as Sonny rushed off, returning moments later with everything in hand.

"Is this ok?" Sonny asked once she had set up the sleeping area.

"It's fine."

"Ok, well, I'll go then. Let me know if you need anything, ok?"

Tawni nodded, still avoiding eye contact.

Sonny sat down beside her then, all of a sudden, and reached her hand up to the side of her jaw, turning her head gently so that they were face to face, mere inches apart.

"You know I'm here for you, Tawni. Always. Ok? No matter what," she leaned over a placed a soft, fleeting kiss on Tawni's forehead. "I love you."

Then she got up and headed to her room.

* * *

><p>In the middle of the night, Sonny woke up to find Tawni crawling under her covers.<p>

"Is everything ok?" she asked, sitting up.

"Yeah," Tawni replied, barely audible. "I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"Being here."

Oddly touched, and a little confused, Sonny replied. "You're welcome?"

"I'm not done yet," Tawni half-laughed, a little indignantly, her hands moving down toward the hem of Sonny's pajama pants.

"What're you-"

Tawni looked up at her as she moved herself down into a position that would give her easier access. "What do you think I'm doing?"

"You don't need to-"

Tawni tugged at the edges of her pajamas, sliding them down slowly.

"My mom is right on the other side of this wall," Sonny said, her eyes wide and a hint of anxiety in her voice, though she couldn't bring herself to make any effort to stop the blonde.

"Well, then you better keep quiet."

* * *

><p>Sonny blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the morning light, and rolled over in her bed. Tawni wasn't there now, though Sonny remembered the blonde falling asleep on top of her after...the <em>thank you<em>.

Tawni had climbed up and kissed her, deeply, one hand tangling itself up in Sonny's brown locks, cupping the back of her head, and the other intertwining with Sonny's fingers, and then she settled down, tucking her head under Sonny's chin and drifting off as their heart beats slowly resumed the normal rhythm.

Of course, Connie would certainly object to finding Tawni in her daughter's bed come morning, so Sonny assumed the blonde had moved back out the couch at some time during the night.

But when Sonny padded out into the living room, Tawni was nowhere to be found.

_How many times is she going to do this to me?_


	13. The Planets Bend Between Us

**Author's Note:** This chapter is a little slow, it's mostly transitional- but then, my stories aren't usually super action packed, I guess. I'm not 100% sure that my time-line is entirely consistent in this story (it wasn't in 'Moon on a Stick', I realized after I'd finished that one that the dates given did not actually work), but just suspend your disbelief as necessary. Also, I know very little about the layout of Hollywood or LA or the typical prices for apartments in that area, etc. Chapter title comes from Snow Patrol again (now I'm in a mood for them—which, thematically, should bode well for our lovely leading ladies, now shouldn't it?).

**Chapter Thirteen: The Planets Bend Between Us  
><strong>

While she did not ignore Sonny's calls that morning, Tawni seemed to be avoiding the brunette all the same in the weeks that followed. Maybe not completely avoiding her, but she was being exceptionally choosy about what time they could spend together, and it was never time alone, and never did they discuss what had happened.

Which, naturally, left Sonny more confused. The way things had gone, her initial assumption had been that things were alright between them, and the relationship was back on track. But now it seemed Tawni had demoted her to friend status. She wasn't cold toward her, and she wasn't, as far as Sonny could tell, seeing any other girls, but she wasn't being with her either.

A month had passed since Charlie had woken up, and he had been released from the hospital two weeks prior. He and Tawni were staying in a hotel, paid for by Mr. Condor, and they were never around home when Sonny came by. Or at least they didn't answer the door.

Sonny almost only ever saw Tawni around the studio and when she'd visited Charlie before he was discharged—in fact, even he seemed a little different. Like he was nervous that she'd come around or something.

Tawni was perfectly nice when they were in their dressing room… she was thoughtful, even sweet at times. Little things like holding the door for Sonny or complimenting her. These things were the most off-putting for the brunette because Tawni only ever gave compliments freely when things were not right with her. Sonny might score the occasional genuine flattery when it was just the two of them, in an intimate setting, but the free and readily given every day compliments were not at all the norm.

Sonny could not bring herself to push it because she felt she was walking on egg shells with the blonde as is, after all that had happened. She didn't want to upset her and so delayed broaching the topic of _them_. Besides, Tawni had her hands full dealing with Charlie for the time being anyway, not to mention dealing with the police and the arrest of her father, her hysterical mother, and the manic media that descended on her every time she went anywhere. For someone who had previously craved such attention, being at the center of such a huge scandal was clearly not what she had expected it to be.

And so, all things considered, she probably didn't have time to worry about her would-be girlfriend. So Sonny kept quiet.

But now, after two weeks of Charlie's release, and a month after their last night together, Sonny didn't want to wait any longer.

She was sitting on the sofa in the prop house, contemplating just how to address the issue without upsetting Tawni when the blonde showed up.

"Hey Sonny," she greeted her casually with a nod of the head before making her way to the fridge.

"Hi," the brunette replied, getting to her feet. "Listen, Tawni, I think we need to talk…"

"I'm going to check out a few apartments downtown," Tawni interrupted her. "There's a loft, and also a two-bedroom place, both down near the Boulevard. I'm leaning toward the two-bedroom so Charlie can stay there until his house gets finished."

"That's nice," Sonny said. "But could we maybe…?"

"You can come along, if you want," Tawni offered, setting her water bottle back in the fridge and turning to leave. "I have to get down there before 3 o'clock or the traffic is really going to suck."

"Alright," Sonny agreed. "We can talk in the car."

Tawni cut her off at every attempt, never particularly harshly though, still that strange…niceness. She kept going on about the different features the loft was supposed to have vereses the two-bedroom. It was clear that the loft sounded more like her style, but the two-bedroom might be more practical for her uncle's current situation.

No matter how hard she tried, Sonny couldn't seem to get a word in edgewise. Though it was probably fair to say she didn't try hard enough—she was never that good about being confrontational with Tawni.

So she just went along with the blonde's babbling about amenities and luxuries as they checked out the two-bedroom, and, shortly after, the loft.

It was newly built and modern in style, with hard wood floors and one whole wall of windows looking down a bustling street. There were all new appliances and a stunning fireplace; it was quite spacious for a studio, and had private entry by elevator. And the location was superb. Tawni's preference for it over the two-bedroom was clear, even with the seven thousand dollar a month rent for what was essentially one room. According to the realtor, it was actually a steal for the size in the location.

Sonny could not get her head around it, but the blonde had never been one to consider price tags or practicality in any of her decisions. And that hadn't changed just because she was very nearly broke at the moment.

When the realtor wandered off to take a call, Sonny attempted to discuss what she considered infinitely more important matters.

But Tawni's phone rang and the blonde was saved by the bell, as it were. Judging by the look on her face and how swiftly she'd answered the phone, Sonny would swear she knew it too. Just in case she wanted any confirmation that Tawni was, in fact, actively avoiding the subject.

"Yeah?" Tawni nodded on the phone, as though whoever she was talking to could see her.

Sonny folded her arms across her chest and waited patiently, wandering over to the window and gazing down the street. She could see why Tawni liked the place. Price aside, it was perfect for her.

"I'll be eighteen in a few days," Tawni said into the phone. "I'll have access to my Coogan trust then, so… right. Sounds good," the blonde peered over at Sonny then, sideways, something between reluctance and resolution in her eyes. Then she continued speaking to the person on the other end of the line: "Yes, I am interested."

A few moments later, she was off the phone.

"Who was that?" Sonny asked, casually, feigning interest and trying not to look like she was desperate to discuss them, as she was.

"My manager. He got me a really great audition and the part is mine if I want it," Tawni explained, her expression still odd.

"What is it?"

Tawni tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

And a moment later, the realtor had returned and the blonde eagerly resumed discussing the apartment.

Tawni dropped Sonny off at her home just over an hour later without the brunette ever managing to have the talk she wanted to have.

* * *

><p>With Tawni's birthday fast approaching, Sonny wanted to give her something really great- the sort of thing that would make Tawni more willing to talk with her about everything. After all, the blonde's attention was much easier to hold if one had a gift for her. What to get her, though, that wasn't so easy. The kind of thing Sonny might find meaningful was not the same sort of thing the blonde would.<p>

At the very least, Sonny had figured taking Tawni out to an expensive dinner at one of her favorite restaurants would be a must, as it would provide ample opportunity to talk. But on the other hand, it might put too much pressure on the blonde, seeing as she was obviously avoiding the discussion already. She might not even agree to a dinner if she knew it was just the two of them.

"So, Tawni's birthday is coming up," Marshall announced as he walked into the prop house to find the other four of the five Randoms watching television. "After everything that's happened, I was thinking it would be nice to throw a birthday bash for her, here at the studio."

"That's a great idea!" Sonny replied, a little overly enthusiastically. A party was an embarrassingly obvious solution to the problem. There would be plenty of people, so Tawni would not feel cornered, but Sonny shouldn't have too much difficulty getting a moment or two alone with her, especially if she had the perfect gift lined up.

"Ooh, will there be cake?" Nico and Grady asked simultaneously.

"Obviously. Who has a birthday party without cake?" Zora replied, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway," Marshall continued. "You guys have three days to get it together. Make it fun. And don't tell her. Have it be a surprise."

"Alright," Zora stood up. "I'll handle the décor."

Sonny raised an eye brow. "Only if you promise there will be no doll heads."

Zora frowned. "Ok, you do it then."

"Yeah, Grady and I are actually really busy these next couple days, Sonny, you think maybe you could handle it?"

"Guys!"

"It's a perfect opportunity for you to, you know, impress her… or something," Grady suggested.

"I don't need to impress her."

"Are you guys back together?" Nico asked, getting to his feet.

"Uh…"

"Exactly. You need to impress her. Come on, G," Nico gestured for Grady to follow him out.

"We'll get balloons," Grady offered just before they were out the door.

"Dude, why'd you say that?"

"What? We should help a little bit, shouldn't we? Balloons will be easy."

"Lots of pink," Sonny called after them as they disappeared, arguing in the hallway.

So now on top of figuring out her perfect gift, she'd need to orchestrate the whole party as well.

* * *

><p>"Look, Tawni," Charlie started, looking across the table at his niece, who was quite torn up about the decision before her. "Just do what feels right, OK? I'll support either choice."<p>

"New York would be a lot of fun," Tawni mused. "It would be really nice to just…start fresh."

"Plus, it's like the gay Mecca, so, you know…basically amazing."

"And I'd make a fantastic Glinda."

"That you would," he nodded. "But you have a stable job here."

"Not _that_ stable," she replied. "And I've been doing So Random! for six years. I'm getting too old for it. _Wicked_ would be something different."

"You'd have a lot of fun with it," he agreed.

"And it would be regular work for at least a year, so that would give me time to get settled and everything."

"So a new city, new job, new life. Sounds like you've already sold yourself on it."

"Yeah, I kind of have," she said, though her tone did not sound as certain.

"But?" he asked, though he already knew what the one thing holding her back was.

Tawni shrugged and leaned back in her chair.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Anyone have any suggestions as far as what Sonny should give Tawni? I'm having a hell of a time coming up with something. Got a couple ideas, but none that really seem just right, you know? PM me a suggestion if you have one (say it in a PM rather than a review so that I can credit you in the AN without spoiling anyone).


	14. Forgotten What I Wanted

**Author's Note: **Chapter title from Snow Patrol's "Ways and Means". The next (and final) chapter is already finished, so it will be posted as soon as I see three reviews. For the record, this chapter has been done for days as well.** :(  
><strong>

**Chapter Fourteen: Forgotten What I Wanted  
><strong>

Preparations for the party went relatively smoothly right up until Nico called and informed her that he and Grady had forgotten about the balloons, their sole responsibility.

And then Sonny found Zora stringing doll heads and hanging them in the prop house.

And Dakota showed up, insisting on an invite (with a plus one so she could bring Chad), and threatening to get them all fired if Sonny didn't make it happen.

And then Mr. Condor showed up, too, deciding that he might make a brief appearance. After all, he was still working on repairing his image. And he wanted to know just how long Tawni was going to be staying at that too-expensive hotel that he was paying for.

And then Chad complained about Dakota stalking him and trying to make him be her plus one, while simultaneously informing her that his connection with the Bonus Jonas had fallen through and live music would no longer be provided.

And then Marshall thought he'd do a dance number as a gift for Tawni, though Sonny couldn't imagine why he would think Tawni would appreciate such a thing, and he crashed into one of the food tables, the one with the cake, of course, and it all collapsed.

And so Sonny found herself standing in the middle of a catastrophe with Tawni was less than an hour away from arriving.

"It's ok, it's ok!" Marshall insisted, patting her on the back. "We can just order another cake and I'll pay for it. I can pay extra and they'll get it here soon enough. Maybe not before Tawni gets here, but they can bring it in and ooh, it can have all the candles lit and we can turn the lights off and sing happy birthday. That's how Ma always did it."

"It was a custom cake from one of the most expensive bakeries in Hollywood!" Sonny cried, throwing her hands up in the air. It even had a frosting sculpture of Tawni herself on top of it.

"I can bake a cake," a familiar voice came from behind and Sonny whirled around to find her mother standing in the entry way to the prop house. "It may not be super fancy, like molding her image in frosting, but I'll do my best."

Sonny tilted her head to the side, a little wary. "You _do_ know it's for Tawni?"

Connie walked up to her daughter and put her hands on her shoulders. "Look, I'm not a fan of Tawni's. But I don't hate her, ok? She's been through a lot lately and..." she hesitated a moment. "If she means so much to you, Sonny, and I know that she does, then she must not be all bad. You're an excellent judge of character... usually... so if you say she's worth it, then I believe you. I'll try to be more open to her."

Sonny could not contain her excitement as she threw her arms around her mother. "Thank you so much!"

"Yeah, well, you guys have had a rougher start that most romances, and I don't want to be part of the bad," Connie smiled. "Now what kind of cake will she want?"

"Devil's Food."

"Of course she would."

Sonny grinned and gave her mother a second hug.

Connie hurried to the store to gather her ingredients and Sonny called Nico.

"Ok, you and Grady are going to go to the grocery store and get a bunch of stuff for me, alright? I want it here in half an hour. No dilly-dallying! Do you have a pen and paper?"

When she hung up, she turned her attention to Zora. "You, go find a way to tip Mr. Condor off to the fact that Dakota is trying to sneak in to the party- without giving any of us up."

Zora laughed gleefully and clambered up the slide.

She called Charlie, whose only job was to make sure Tawni made it to her party, and asked him to delay a bit, if possible, and he said he would try. Getting a hold of Charlie in the first place, without Tawni around, had been a difficult enough task for Sonny- she had waited down the hall from their hotel room for nearly two hours before seeing Tawni leave and making her move. He had been highly receptive to the idea, agreeing that Tawni deserved a party after everything she'd been through. And yet, there was something else in his expression too, as he looked down at Sonny, something...sad.

Lastly, she called Grady's girlfriend, Mel, and asked her if she'd be interested in performing with her band. She was ecstatic!

And somehow everything managed to come together just at the last minute. Nearly a hundred people had showed up, evidenced not only by the dense crowd, but by the growing mound of gifts as well.

Sonny's gift was in their dressing room. She intended to wait for a moment alone with the blonde to give it to her, rather than allowing it to be buried in with everyone else's.

* * *

><p>"I don't know why you wanted to come," Tawni said, not hiding her annoyance as she waited for Charlie to catch up on his crutches. "Marshall said it wouldn't take long."<p>

"It's your birthday, Tawn!" Charlie intoned. "I wanted to spend it with you."

"Yeah, well, I figured you were going to treat me to a fancy dinner or something when I got back from this," she replied.

"Maybe I just wanted to get out and move around a bit then, ok? Besides, I've never actually seen the studio or anything. Where's the prop house?"

"Charlie, I don't have time to give you a tour, especially with how slow you're moving."

"So sensitive."

"Well, I don't. I want to make this quick so I can get out of here and do something fun!"

"It'll just take a second."

"Ugh!" she groaned. "Come on then. And hurry it up!"

She waited, impatiently, making sure Charlie knew just how much he was inconveniencing her at the moment, by the prop house door, which was closed for some reason. It was almost never shut, but Tawni didn't think twice about it before pulling the large sliding door open, and being even more put off by the fact that the lights were off. She fumbled in the dark a moment, trying to find the switch, and when she did...

"SURPRISE!"

"Oh my God!" Instantly wide-eyed and smiling brightly, Tawni almost fell over she was so startled by the densely packed room full of people, and even more intrigued by the mountain of gifts she could see off to the side of the crowd.

She looked back at Charlie, who smiled knowingly in return and hobbled past her, toward the food.

"Hey, kiddo!" Marshall greeted her. "You're an adult now. Know what that means?"

"That I can finally get into my Coogan?" Tawni replied happily.

"Well, that too," Marshall nodded. "But even more important..."

"I can vote and get married and join the army- none of which interest me, by the way."

"And that, but also..."

"It means I can work you more," Mr. Condor joined them. "No more child labor laws limiting your hours."

She nodded.

"Now," Mr. Condor continued. "Where's the dance floor?"

"Over thataway," Grady said, stepping up to them. "See that girl on the stage? She's my girlfriend!"

Mr. Condor nodded, his expression lifeless as ever, and made his way through the crowd.

Tawni turned back to Marshall. "So, I'm an adult and the most important part of that is...?"

"Well, I was just going to say that you're on your own now," Marshall explained. "But then I realized that didn't sound good. What I meant to say is that I think you've grown a lot, especially in these past few months, and I think you're more than ready and capable of moving into the adult world and succeeding. You're on your own, but you're going to be just fine. Better than fine, really."

Grady made a snoring sound to interrupt Marshall's brief speech.

"What?" Marshall frowned at him.

"I have a present for the birthday girl," he replied. "From me and Nico."

"Ooh!" Tawni clapped her hands together and took the box Grady handed her, unwrapping it frantically.

"My gift is buried in that pile somewhere, " Zora said, appearing at Tawni's side.

The blonde paid her no heed as she focused on the gift in her hands and pulled out a miniature garden gnome. "Uh, thanks?"

"Nico and I were hired at the same time, remember? And the first sketch we did with you was the gnome sketch. Condor wouldn't let us give you the actual gnome because, turns out, the gnome sketch is his favorite, so we got you a little one. It's just something to remember us," he smiled.

"Remember you?" Tawni was confused. "Why do I need a-"

"For when you go to New York," Nico said, joining them.

She stopped a minute, turning to him. "How do you-?"

"Your manager told me you got the role in _Wicked_," Marshall shrugged. "And anyway, you've been on So Random! for seven years. It couldn't last forever. You will be missed, though, believe it or not."

She looked at her three cast-mates, who were smiling in a way that told her this was not news to them either.

"Does... everyone know?" she asked.

"No, just us," Nico explained.

"Anyway, kiddo, it's been fun," Marshall said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll do a fabulous job in the Big Apple."

"I'm not positive I'm going yet," she said.

"Yeah, you are," Marshall laughed. "How could you not go?"

Her eyes were fixed on the floor. "So...Sonny doesn't know?"

Grady shook his head. "Zora overheard your manager talking with Marshall and she reported to Nico and me. She didn't think we should tell Sonny."

"Look, I know you and Sonny had a... _a thing_, but..." Marshall's eyes narrowed. "This is the chance of a lifetime, Tawni."

"One could argue that," Grady said, stroking his chin and affecting a bad British accent. "Her_ thing_ with Sonny could be the chance of a lifetime too. I, for one, am so very happy with my girlfriend- the one over there, on the stage- that I would not trade her for any job on earth."

Marshall rolled his eyes. "You and Tawni aren't exactly in the same boat there. There's tons of girls in New York who would go for her. Now I'm not saying Sonny isn't special or nice or anything, you know I love her, I'm just asking you kids to be reasonable about this. This is a major opportunity, Tawni. Don't throw it away on a whim."

"Enough of this," Nico groaned, then turning to the blonde. "Either way, you got to tell Sonny though."

"Tell Sonny what?" Sonny asked, joining them.

"Nothing!" Nico and Grady yelled simultaneously, before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

"The art of subtlety is completely lost on those two, numbskulls," Zora said, rolling her eyes, before throwing an awkward look at Sonny and retreating to the food table, with an equally awkward looking Marshall following suit.

"Sonny, hey," Tawni greeted her, casually as she could.

"What is it?" Sonny asked.

Tawni hesitated a minute. "Nothing."

"Tawni-"

"Do you have a present for me?"

"Of course," Sonny rolled her eyes. "It's in the dressing room. I wanted to talk to you first. You only get the gift if you let me talk."

Before Tawni could reply, Chad Dylan Cooper's voice was booming through the microphone. "Hey all! CDC here and I just want to wish a big happy birthday to my good... colleague Tawni Hart! Now I didn't bring a gift because, well, my presence is gift enough, isn't it? So Happy Birthday, Tawni!" he gestured to someone on the side and seconds later, Connie wheeled a cart with three large cakes on it, six candles on each one. Chad moved his arms around as though he were conducting the singing of Happy Birthday that followed.

"Your mom made the cakes?" Tawni leaned over and asked Sonny.

"Yeah," Sonny replied, beaming with pride.

When the song ended, Tawni leaned forward and, closing her eyes, made a birthday wish, blowing out all of the candles in one go.

"Peace out, suckas!" Chad hollered from the stage, jumping down and heading toward the cake.

Everyone cheered and then resumed their assorted individual conversations and dancing and eating, drinking, and being merry. Connie set about cutting up the cakes.

"So, can I steal you away for a couple minutes?" Sonny asked, eyes bright as she gently took the blonde's hand in hers.

Tawni swiftly jerked her hand away, biting her lip.

"What is it?"

"I think... I mean..." the blonde swallowed. "You know that part I got?"

"Yeah?"

"It's for Glinda in _Wicked_."

"That's wonderful!" Sonny exclaimed. She had always adored _Wicked_.

"In New York," Tawni clarified, since it seemed that the fact had not dawned on Sonny.

"Right," the smile fell from the brown-eyed girls face and Tawni swore it looked like someone had punched her in stomach.

"Oh my God!" Chad bellowed from back on the stage, where he had swiftly reclaimed the mic. "This cake is better than my Death-by-Chadcolate!"


	15. For God's Sake, Dear

**Author's Note: **Any of you readers (like Stellar Raven) who read my stuff way back in the _Even Stevens_ days, there's a little bit of a shout out to one of my old stories here. Something Ren/Tawny did that Tawni wants to do too. I know it's been forever since anyone read those stories, but let me know if you catch it! Chapter title comes from Snow Patrol's "Just Say Yes". Thanks to those of you who offered up gift ideas. I did, in fact, go with one of yours. Credit is given at the bottom, so as to limit spoiling.**  
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**Chapter Fifteen: For God's Sake, Dear  
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Someone grabbed Tawni by the crook in her elbow and dragged her toward her mountain of presents and when she looked back, Sonny was nowhere to be found.

She sighed, but quickly smiled at the towering mound before her and snatched a bag from it. Opening presents was one of her very favorite activities and she was damn good at it too. Mere minutes later and every gift had been opened.

New jewelry and shoes and bags and receipts for all of it so she could return it and exchange them and return them for something better as needed- and there was some definite need for that.

At some point, Chad appeared beside her with a slice of cake on a plate, holding it out to her in offering.

"I thought you were supposed to wait until I took a bite before you dove in?"

"CDC always dives in first," he smirked. "Hell, I even beat you to your girlfriend!"

"Except you didn't _dive in _her," she countered, a chorus of "ohhhs" rising from the crowds around them. She glanced around in search of the brunette again, knowing that she would object to being discussed in such a way, especially in front of a crowd.

"Touche," Chad conceded.

Tawni nodded, smiling, and took the plate from him.

After a half hour of making small talk with assorted celebs, Tawni tossed her paper plate in the trash. She delicately wiped her mouth and reapplied her lip gloss.

There was a strange sensation swelling in her chest, a sort of tugging, of the sort that only Sonny could relieve. Tawni rolled her eyes at her own thoughts. On the other hand, she did not want to see the other girl right now. She was enjoying herself, in spite of the guilty internal tug-of-war, and if she saw Sonny she wouldn't. Because then they'd have to talk, Sonny would insist on it.

Only Tawni had nothing else to say.

"Hey," Zora greeted her. "So...you gonna go talk to Sonny or what?"

Tawni frowned. It was eerie the way the young girl did that.

"You should. She's in your guys' dressing room," Zora informed her. "You should at least thank her for the party. She made it all happen."

Tawni nodded silently, before taking a deep breath and slowly making her way through the crowd and out into the hallway. She would apologize for not telling Sonny sooner, maybe, though she hated apologizing. She _did_ feel bad about it- about the look on the other girl's face. And Sonny would congratulate her on the part, say something like 'I always knew you had it in you' and encourage her to follow her dreams, be a star, and all that. What else could she say? Sonny was never one to stand in the way of someone achieving their dreams. She had even been the one to encourage Marshall's embarrassing effort at a one-man show, hell, she went so far as to join him on stage, humiliating herself, just to help him experience his dream.

And what Grady had said, well, that was ridiculous. Marshall was right, there were other girls in New York. Of course, there were lots of other girls in L.A. too... but only one that mattered. The New York girls would be plentiful, but they'd be just like all the other L.A. girls. She'd have fun with them, but she wouldn't want to talk to them, she wouldn't want them to stick around. Once would be enough and then she'd move on to the next. So maybe Grady wasn't so ridiculous. Tawni had been with dozens of girls and Sonny... and Sonny was something else altogether. It didn't even feel right to think of her in the same vein as those other girls. She was different and maybe Grady was right- maybe she was a one of a kind thing. Maybe she was the chance of a lifetime, too.

She hovered outside the dressing room door before finally willing herself to open it and step inside.

Sonny was sitting on the floor, a neatly wrapped box on the table in front of her.

Tawni moved over to her side slowly and took a seat beside her. "Thanks for the party."

Sonny turned away and rubbed one of her eyes with the palm of her hand. "No problem."

"So..." Tawni started, fidgeting with the silver rings on her fingers. "You wanted to talk, right? In order for me to get that present there, we need to talk."

Sonny inhaled sharply and grabbed the box, shoving it toward Tawni. "We don't need to talk."

"Sonny-"

"You're leaving. So what's there to talk about?" Sonny was trying to sound nonchalant, but it wasn't working.

Tawni stared down at the box in her hands and unwrapped it.

It was a leather-bound scrapbook, with a mirror inlaid on the cover.

She glanced over at Sonny, but didn't say anything.

"I wanted a cover that you'd think was really pretty, so...just...a mirror seemed like the best option."

Tawni smirked. "It_ does_ make it the prettiest book."

She opened it up slowly, eyes scanning the pages.

There was a page from the script of their first sketch together. The fanmail Sonny had written herself as Eric, along with the weird beard she'd worn in disguise. That was the first time Tawni hit on her, technically. And Tawni's fanletter from Eric as well, which was Sonny's way of thanking the blonde for giving her the courage to come out in public. There was a photograph of Tawni's head carved in butter, which they had done during their cross-country drive to Wisconsin to prove Sonny's innocence when no one else believed in her. There were receipts and photos from their first few dates. The white roses Sonny stole from the Mackenzie Falls set to give Tawni after their first night together... only to walk in and find Tawni with another girl. But she kept the roses all the same. There was the tiny service bell Tawni had used the first time she had fired her mother as her manager and had crashed, uninvited, at Sonny's house. There were wood violet petals and labels from the expensive cheeses and wine they had up at Lookout Mountain.

And only the first six pages were full. More than half the scrapbook was empty, still waiting to be filled.

"Run out of time?" Tawni asked, half-smiling.

"We didn't have much time together," Sonny replied, somberly, avoiding eye-contact.**  
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A few moments of silence passed before Tawni spoke up again.

"I did the audition over Skype, you know? I didn't think I'd get it," she said. "I mean, I wasn't sure the full effect of my amazingness would translate over the computer."

"When are you leaving?"

"I'm not sure," Tawni shrugged. "I haven't actually accepted the part yet."

"What are you waiting for?"

"I don't know," she said, though she said it like she _did_ know.

"I'll miss you," Sonny mumbled.

Tawni nodded. "So you think I should go then?"

"What?"

"You think I should go?"

"I...well...yeah... I mean... it's a starring role in, like, one of the biggest productions on Broadway. Why wouldn't you go?"

Tawni shrugged again, feeling a little disappointed for some reason that she wasn't entirely clear of herself.

"It's amazing, Tawni, it really is. Congratulations," Sonny said sincerely, pushing herself up from the ground. She took a deep breath and smoothed out her shirt. "We should probably get back to the party."

"I'll be there in a minute," Tawni replied, getting to her feet as well. "You go ahead."

Sonny paused a moment, still looking like she was about to burst into tears in spite of her best efforts to control herself, then turned toward the door.**  
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Her hand was on the doorknob when she stopped and turned back around.

"Don't go to New York," her voice was barely above a whisper.

"What?" Tawni asked in response, though she had heard the other girl. She stepped around the couch, moving closer to the brunette.

Sonny's bit her lip, hesitating, before taking a deep breath. "I know it's an incredible opportunity for you and you'd be fantastic, but... but this is an opportunity too! We're... we haven't even had a chance yet. I want a chance with you, Tawni. And we could be fantastic too! I know it's selfish and I wouldn't want you to hate me for the rest of your life if I got in your way, which is exactly what I'm doing, I know, but...I just... I have to say it. I can't just let you go without telling you how I feel, alright? I love you. I'm so completely in love with you and... I don't even understand it... but I am and I want you, here, with me. All the time. Always and forever. And I don't want you to go to New York because then we'll never have a chance. Our chance. And we deserve it. And maybe being with me won't make you famous. It won't help you be a star. But I can make you happy. And I can make you feel like a star. And I don't want you to hate me for this, Tawni, but I just... I had to tell you," Sonny paused a moment, turning her back to Tawni and reaching for the door again. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to get a hold of herself. "It's not... I won't hate you for leaving. I get it. It's a dream job and I don't think anything should stop you from following your dreams unless you really think it's worth it and I know that I'm not reason enough to-"

Sonny felt Tawni grab her by the shoulder, turning her around, and her long-winded babbling was cut off by the blonde's soft lips on hers, and when the Tawni pulled away, she kept her hands on either side of Sonny's face, brushing the tears from her cheeks with her thumbs.

"Very selfish of you to do this to me, you know," Tawni said, half-grinning.

"I know," Sonny replied weakly, still crying and clearly ashamed of herself.

"But I'm glad you did," Tawni reassured, saying it as though she was just realizing it herself. "It's all I wanted to know."

"What?"

"I wanted to know if you wanted me to stay," Tawni shrugged, her hands falling from the sides of Sonny's face and taking her hands instead. "I think New York would be amazing, but I..." the blonde hesitated. "I didn't want to leave you. But I would have if you didn't ask."

"But, why would-"

"I'm glad I've had such a profound influence over you, making you choose your own personal happiness over someone else's aspirations," Tawni smirked, pushing Sonny backward onto the orange couch and climbing over her.

"Are you really going to stay?" Sonny asked, a plea apparent in her tone, still a bit mixed up.

"You really want me to?"

"Of course I do!" Sonny insisted. "But I don't want you to hate me for-"

"Well, I promise not to hate you on one, _tiny_ condition..."

"What?" the brunette wiped away the tears on cheeks.

"You remember that time I showed you that book with all the different-"

"Yes," Sonny interjected, blushing. "Why?"

"Remember the one, the bendy one with-"

"Yeah, I remember," Sonny looked around nervously as though she expected someone else to be listening in on their indecent conversation even though no one else was in the room.

"Well, I want to do that. And then, and only then, I won't hate you forever."

Sonny tilted her head to the side. "It looked so...I don't want you to break me."

Tawni laughed. "I won't! I always play nice with my favorite toys, Sonny. And you are my very favorite."

Sonny smiled briefly before speaking again. "It's a starring role on the biggest production on Broadway, Tawni."

"Yeah, well, you better make staying worth it then."

"Are you sure? Are you _really_ sure?" Sonny asked again, her nerves and guilt apparent. "I just...I don't want to ruin everything for you."

Tawni nodded, rolling her eyes and pulling out her phone. "You're making this difficult, sweetie."

She pushed a few buttons and waited for an answer.

"Hey, it's Tawni," she said, her free hand playing with the buttons on Sonny's shirt. "I'm going to stay in L.A. Yeah...Yeah, I know... Well, I got a _better_ offer here...ok? bye-bye!"

Tawni leaned down and kissed Sonny softly on the lips. "Now...let's go back to the party. I want to dance."

Sonny wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.

Tawni pulled her up from the couch and toward the door, lacing their fingers together. "So, do you think I could make Nico and Grady get me another present? I mean, there's was a miniature gnome to remember them by, but since I'm not leaving, I'll have _them_ to remember them by. I think that means a new gift is in order."

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><p>Sonny fumbled for the keys to her apartment, while Tawni had her pressed up against the door, hands unbuttoning the dark-haired girl's shirt.<p>

"Wait until we're inside, at least!" Sonny hissed, though the seriousness of her tone was undercut by her giggling.

Finally finding the key, she shoved it into the lock and opened the door. Connie had volunteered to stay and help clean up, though it wasn't entirely necessary, and Sonny had a sneaking suspicion that her mother knew full well that she would be taking advantage of a few hours alone in the apartment.

Tawni managed to get the last button undone- she was a tad tipsy, after all, courtesy of Nico spiking the punch- and yanked the shirt off Sonny halfway to the bedroom. The brunette was focused on getting to her bed before things got much further.

Once they made it into Sonny's room and shut the door behind them, Sonny turned her attention to getting Tawni's clothes off. After all, it just didn't seem fair that she was half-naked already while the blonde was still fully clothed.

Tawni pushed her down on the bed and started unbuckling Sonny's belt.

"Wait!" Sonny insisted suddenly, startling the blonde.

"Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me!"

"Every night we've spent together has ended with me waking up alone," Sonny said matter-of-factly, twisting herself out from under Tawni and pulling her down on the bed instead. She rolled over so that she was on top now, straddling the blonde. She leaned over toward her nightstand and grabbed something out of the drawer. She looked back at Tawni and dangled a pair of hand-cuffs in front of the blonde. "Not this time."

"Well, Sonny Munroe!" Tawni grinned that devilish grin of hers in response. "I didn't think you had it in you."

The end. (But really it's just another beginning, isn't it?)

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><p><strong>AN:** Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to comment on this story! It means a lot! And especially huge thanks to** Tracy Cook**,** LazehWritahGurl36**, and** GabbyCaptainOfRamen **for their regular reviews! **LazehWritahGurl** also gets a **big thanks** for her suggestion that Sonny's gift be a scrapbook- it seemed a very Sonny thing to do, if you ask me, and certainly better than anything I could come up with! I don't think I'll be attempting another multi-chap anytime soon (especially considering how much work it takes when most of you can't be bothered to comment), but I may do one-shots or songfics occasionally, which would be supplementary to these stories- little episodes that happen later on and that sort of thing. Who knows. If any of you have something you'd specifically like to see me write, let me know and maybe I'll give it a go. I make no promises, but you never know. PM me any requests!**  
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